From the Research
Healthcare professionals should utilize a combination of primary and secondary literature resources to deliver evidence-based care, with primary literature providing cutting-edge research and secondary literature offering context and practical applications, as supported by the most recent study 1. The differences between primary and secondary literature resources in healthcare are crucial for evidence-based practice. Primary literature resources include:
- Original research articles published in peer-reviewed journals
- Randomized controlled trials
- Cohort studies
- Case-control studies
- Systematic reviews These sources provide firsthand data and analysis from researchers who conducted the studies, and are essential for healthcare professionals to access the most current evidence and methodologies.
Secondary literature resources, on the other hand, include:
- Textbooks
- Review articles
- Clinical guidelines
- Meta-analyses
- Evidence-based summaries like UpToDate or DynaMed These sources synthesize and interpret primary research, making complex information more accessible. Both resource types are vital for evidence-based practice, and healthcare professionals should develop skills to critically appraise both types, considering factors like study design, sample size, and potential biases when evaluating primary literature, while assessing the comprehensiveness and currency of secondary sources, as highlighted in 2 and 3. The use of evidence-based practice resources has been shown to improve patient outcomes and healthcare system return on investment, as demonstrated in 1, and primary healthcare managers play a key role in implementing these governing documents, as noted in 3. Overall, the combination of primary and secondary literature resources enables healthcare providers to deliver care based on the most current and reliable evidence available, as supported by the most recent and highest quality study 1.