UpToDate is a point of care, clinical information tool with over 77,000 pages of peer-reviewed, fully-referenced, and illustrated topic reviews. It presents a comprehensive synthesis of the evidence, followed by graded recommendations and MEDLINE abstracts.
Content in UpToDate is written, reviewed, and updated by more than 5,000 physicians who synthesize all the information on a given topic to provide specific, practical recommendations for diagnosis and treatment. Content is revised as new evidence becomes available. Each topic includes the date that the content was last reviewed or updated.
UpToDate uses the GRADE system for grading recommendations for treatment. These graded recommendations are included in the Summary and Recommendations sections at the end of each topic. Each grade includes a number that reflects the strength of the recommendation and a letter that reflects the quality of the evidence supporting that recommendation.
UpToDate includes more than 28,000 related charts, x-rays, photographs, movies, and graphs as well as over 1500 patient education articles that can be printed as handouts for patients.
A "What's New" section compiles the most important updates and new information for specific topics such as adult and pediatric emergency medicine, geriatrics, infectious diseases, etc. Each "What's New" section includes the date the information was added and when the topic was last updated.
Included in "What's New" are Practice Changing Updates, "a compilation of studies with important or immediate implications for how clinicians practice."
Patient information that can be printed and/or emailed is available in UpToDate for a number of topics. "The Basics" are short articles designed to give patients a general overview of the topic. For patients who want to know more, "Beyond the Basics" are longer articles with more detailed information.
Click on Patient Info in the top right corner to get to both "The Basics" and "Beyond the Basics." You can also select Patient from the drop down menu in the search box.