Background

1. Background Results • Clinical pharmacists frequently base treatment recommendations on the primary literature. • Recalling specific details about clinical trials is often important, though sometimes difficult. • Processes to provide very rapid access to the original trial data are needed. • Clinical pharmacists frequently base treatment recommendations on the primary literature. • Recalling specific details about clinical trials is often important, though sometimes difficult. • Processes to provide very rapid access to the original trial data are needed. • Clinical pharmacists frequently base treatment recommendations on the primary literature. • Recalling specific details about clinical trials is often important, though sometimes difficult. • Processes to provide very rapid access to the original trial data are needed. • A standalone PalmOS-based software application was developed using PDA Toolbox version 4.2 for Windows. • The application allows clinicians to enter critical data and notes from clinical trials related to their individual practice and quickly retrieve them. • The software automatically calculates effect sizes based on absolute incidences entered (e.g.. RRR, RR, ARR, NNT/NNH). • The software also allows entry of an individual patient’s perceived baseline risk (e.g.. based on the clinician’s suspicion or another risk estimation scheme) and applies the trial’s effect to it, allowing individualized estimates of the magnitude/likelihood of efficacy or harm based on the trial data. • The software allows the user to add “notes” to a trial where their own interpretation and comments about the trial can be stored. • The program is comprised of three files: A program (.prc) file (51KB) and two database (.pdb) files (total size ~40KB, but dependent on amount of data entered). • A standalone PalmOS-based software application was developed using PDA Toolbox version 4.2 for Windows. • The application allows clinicians to enter critical data and notes from clinical trials related to their individual practice and quickly retrieve them. Methods • Although a database of over 950 PDF versions of clinical papers was maintained by the author and available from any PC in the hospital, even more rapid access to trial data while on rounds, teaching, evaluating patients, or outside the hospital was needed. • A précis of the critical trial data in a portable form, including a method to estimate an individual patient’s chances of benefiting or being harmed by a particular therapy was desired. Although a database of over 950 PDF versions of clinical papers was maintained by the author and available from any PC in the hospital, even more rapid access to trial data while on rounds, teaching, evaluating patients, or outside the hospital was needed. • A précis of the critical trial data in a portable form, including a method to estimate an individual patient’s chances of benefiting or being harmed by a particular therapy was desired. Conclusions • It is feasible to create a handheld tool for storing, retrieving and interpreting clinical trial data. • Such a tool can be used at the “point of curiosity” to improve the quality of clinical decision-making related to drug therapy. • The tool is also useful for informing patients about their individualized expected benefits or risks of drug therapy, thus as an aid to “evidence-based patient choice”. Title of the project elx ibris elx ibris elx ibris elx ibris elx ibris elx ibris elx ibris elx ibris elx ibris elx ibris elx ibris elx ibris elx ibris elx ibris elx ibris elx ibris elx ibris elx ibris elx ibris Resident’s Name, Degree(s) with periods [eg. B.Sc.(Pharm).]; Other investigators’ names [no “Dr.’s”], Degree(s) with periods. NO AFFILIATIONS. Table 1: Trial details can be reviewed to determine applicability to the current clinical scenario. AVOID 3D GRAPHICS! Keep it clean and simple… few horizontal lines on graphs, no background colors. Table 2: Details of the specific trial endpoint, in a number of formats. Figure 1: Details of the specific trial endpoint, in a number of formats. Poster template notes: This is a 36 inch high (the max) by 48 inch long poster. Suggest NOT adjusting either of these unless absolutely necessary. If necessary, the length can be increased to a MAX of 56”. Each square foot costs $10.25. “Limitations” Box is a reasonable idea. “References” box is optional.