| While there are many literature surveillance systems available to our readers, PURLs alone asks the question, “Should we change practice on the basis of this article?” |
PURLs provides a literature review system that systematically identifies practice changing research and facilitates the integration of these innovations into the realities of today’s clinical environment.
Each month PURLs Editor, Bernard Ewigman, MD, MSPH, and the PURLs team rigorously survey the literature to identify those few articles (usually less than a half dozen) that might warrant a change in clinical practice. They assess the article for scientific validity and for its generalizability to the usual family practice setting, place the study’s findings in the context of the literature and current clinical recommendations, and identify those few studies that warrant a change in practice. But having identified a practice changer is only half the battle— the PURLs authors ask, “What are the barriers to implementation of this change into our daily routine? Are there challenges in reimbursement? Who is responsible for this change? How could we hasten diffusion of this innovation?
How is a PURLs review different?
While there are many literature surveillance systems available to our readers, PURLs alone asks the question, “Should we change practice on the basis of this article?” To answer this question, not only do our experts and peer reviewers critically appraise the article, but they look at what current practice is (as assessed by resources such as UpToDate, PEPID, Dynamed, relevant practice guidelines, and recommendations from other authoritative sources). If the practice is significantly different, we then try to weigh the importance of this change, how well it can be implemented, and challenges in changing practice. So rather than a simple literature review, we go further, and ask, “Does the value of this innovation warrant implementation and how do we diffuse this change into practice?”
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