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Evidence research

Research a clinical question against PubMed, DailyMed, openFDA and MedlinePlus, with de-identified searches you approve first.

Updated · 2 min read

On this page (5 sections)

Evidence research answers a clinical question from public literature and drug labels while you write a note. You see and approve every search before anything leaves Terra.

Ask a question

  1. In the visit editor, open evidence research, or go to Library → Clinical evidence → Research a question.
  2. Type your question, for example "First-line treatment for uncomplicated cystitis in adults with a sulfa allergy".
  3. Send it.

Only clinicians can use evidence research. Your questions and results are private to you.

Review the search plan

Terra replies with a plan of up to five searches, each with the source it will use and why. Before you see it, every search passes a privacy check that removes exact dates, exact ages ("67 year old", "45M"), record numbers, contact details, addresses and links, and then checks again against the patient's name, date of birth and MRN. Age ranges such as "65 and older" are allowed.

  1. Read each search.
  2. Untick, edit or remove any you do not want, or add your own. Edited searches pass the same check; if one fails, nothing is sent.
  3. Choose run.

Sources

Searches go only to these public services, with no account, cookies or identity attached:

  • PubMed and PubMed Central (NCBI), including retraction and erratum flags.
  • DailyMed drug labels.
  • openFDA drug labels: boxed warnings, indications, contraindications, dosing and interactions.
  • MedlinePlus health topics.

Terra retrieves at most 20 passages.

Read the answer

The answer has four parts:

  • What the evidence says, where every statement cites a retrieved passage.
  • What may apply here, considerations to check against your patient.
  • Conflicts and gaps, always at least one.
  • Insufficient evidence, when the passages do not answer the question.

Citation chips open the source on NIH, FDA or MedlinePlus in a new tab. Terra never cites anything it did not retrieve.

Save a citation

A clinician who manages the practice can save a passage as a link-only citation draft in the practice's Clinical evidence library. It still needs review and publication before others see it. See The citation library.

Evidence research is advisory. It does not add anything to your note unless you do.

Something not match what you see? Tell us

Next: The citation library