Communication Templates

UpToDate newsletter articles and templates provide information on a variety of topics - from our Patient Information program to our drug interactions feature. These can be used separately as handouts, used to create email announcements or inserted into your facility’s newsletters. The series can also be tailored to specific clinical audiences.

Below is a table of contents of our available articles. Just click on a title to jump to the related valuable information about UpToDate.

 

UpToDate® Is Associated with Better Health Outcomes

A recent study demonstrated an association between use of UpToDate® and increased safety and efficacy at acute care hospitals.1

Benefits included:

  • Shorter length of stay 
  • Lower complication rates
  • Higher patient safety indicator scores

What’s more, these associations correlated significantly with how much UpToDate was used (the “dose-response effect”).

Now all clinicians within <Hospital Name> can have the same impact on patient care by using UpToDate. To access the program, click on the UpToDate icon on your desktop or go to www.uptodate.com/contents/search from any <Hospital Name> computer.

1. Bonis, PA et al; Association of a clinical knowledge support system; Intl J Med Inform. 2008 Nov;77(11):745-53

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Answer Clinical Questions More Quickly with UpToDate®

Every day, physicians encounter clinical questions in the course of their daily practice. In fact, studies have shown that:1 

  • Approximately 2 out of 3 clinical encounters generates a question
  • Physicians have approximately 11 clinical questions a day
  • Only 40% of these questions get answered
  • Answering all clinical questions could change 5 to 8 patient management decisions each day

UpToDate® makes finding clinical answers easier by providing current, evidence-based information in an organized, searchable format. What’s more, that information is available where clinicians need it the most — at the point of care.

All clinicians within <Hospital Name> now have access to UpToDate. To perform a search using the program, click on the UpToDate icon on your desktop or go to www.uptodate.com/contents/search from any <Hospital Name> computer. Users at non-<Hospital Name> locations should log on to <Hospital Name>’s network before accessing www.uptodate.com/contents/search.

1. Covell, DG. Ann Intern Med 1985; 103:596; Green, ML. AM J Med 2002; 109:218; Osheroff, JA. Ann Intern Med 1991:575; Ely, JW. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2005; 12:217; Gorman, PN. Med Decis Making 1995; 15:113.

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Save Time with Medical Calculators

UpToDate® offers more than 135 calculators to help you quickly and accurately calculate many different medical measurements.

To access UpToDate, click on the desktop icon located on your computer workstation or visit www.uptodate.com/contents/search. 

To view the list of calculators, click on the Calculators tab located on the menu bar at the top left side of the page. To find a specific calculator, type a description of the calculation into the search box (e.g., Body Mass Index).

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UpToDate® Offers Evidence-based Recommendations

The UpToDate® goal is to provide concise, evidence-based answers to clinical questions at the point of care. UpToDate achieves this goal by adhering to rigorous editorial standards for creating and updating topics and by bringing together methodologists to interpret the evidence, expert physicians who understand the clinical questions that arise, and multiple levels of peer review to promote clarity and prevent bias.

UpToDate topics include recommendations based on the best available evidence. When this evidence is high-quality (such that obtained from randomized trials), UpToDate recommendations rely heavily on it. However, even when the best evidence is of low quality (such as that gleaned from clinical observations), UpToDate still provides specific, detailed recommendations — based on the collective expertise and clinical experience of their world-renowned authors and editors.

Recommendations are Graded Based on a Widely Accepted Scale

UpToDate began grading recommendations in 2006. The program currently includes more than 9,000 graded recommendations, and the grading process is ongoing. Graded recommendations appear in the Summary and Recommendations section at the end of a topic.

UpToDate uses the GRADE format, a modification of the GRADE system1. Grades have two components: a number (1 or 2) reflecting the strength of the recommendation and a letter (A, B or C) reflecting the quality of the evidence supporting that recommendation.

A Grading Tutorial is Available on the UpToDate Website.

UpToDate has created an interactive tutorial on grading for its physician editors and peer reviewers. It is available at www.uptodate.com/home/grading-tutorial. It provides some basic information on evidence-based medicine as well as more in-depth instruction about the GRADE system. Additional information about the international GRADE working group is available at www.gradeworkinggroup.org.

1. Guyatt, GH, Oxman, AD, Vist, GE, et al, for the GRADE Working Group. GRADE: an emerging consensus on rating quality of evidence and strength of recommendations. 

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UpToDate® Promotes Informed Decision Making with Patient Topics for Different Reading Levels

Patients are taking a more active role in their healthcare. Give your patients the accurate, comprehensive information they need to make smart choices. You and your patients will use the same evidence-based recommendations to make the right decisions together.  Easy-to-understand educational information with visual graphics gives you the tools to educate patients on their condition and meet patient-specific education Meaningful Use requirements. We’ve expanded our database of articles – there are now nearly 1,500 articles you can email, print or review together with your patients.

UpToDate offers two types of patient information topics:

The Basics 

  • Best for patients who want a general overview
  • Short (1-3 page) articles written in plain language, at a 5th-6th grade reading level 
  • Answer the 4 or 5 most important questions a person might have about a medical condition 
  • Use drawings, graphics and other visual elements to reinforce key messages 
  • Available to UpToDate subscribers, who can share them with patients during office visits or via email

Beyond the Basics 

  • Best for patients who want more in-depth information
  • Longer (5-10 page) articles written at a high school reading level
  • Include detailed information and some medical terms
  • Include links to related professional topics 
  • Available to both patients and clinicians FREE at www.uptodate.com/home/uptodate-benefits-patients

You can be confident that your patients are reading current and accurate information that’s consistent with the UpToDate professional content you receive. And with two different types of patient topics available, you can provide materials that are appropriate to your patients’ learning styles and health literacy levels. 

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Staying Up to Date with UpToDate®

Physicians who are busy seeing patients often find it a challenge to keep up with the constant changes and new developments in their specialty. 

Surprisingly, studies have shown that there is actually an inverse relationship between the number of years a physician has been in practice and the quality of care that physician provides.1

With UpToDate®, clinicians not only have access to the information they need at the point of care, but they can also keep up with the latest medical findings. In fact, a study at the Mayo Clinic found that UpToDate had a significant impact on the education of medical residents, as assessed by the Internal Medicine In-Training Examination (IM-ITE). It found that using UpToDate for 20 minutes a day was associated with an increase in IM-ITE scores comparable to an entire year of residency.2

All clinicians at <Hospital Name> now have access to UpToDate. To perform a search using the program, click on the UpToDate icon on your desktop or go to www.uptodate.com/contents/search from any <Hospital Name> computer. Users at non-<Hospital Name> locations should log on to <Hospital Name>’s network before accessing www.uptodate.com/contents/search.

1. Choudhry NK, Fletcher RH, Soumerai SB. Systematic review: the relationship between clinical experience and quality of health care. Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. choudhry@fas.harvard.edu. Annals of Internal Medicine 2005;142:260, https://www.abim.org/resources/statmoc.shtm, according to ABFM and https://www.theabfm.org/about/stats_exams.aspx 
2. McDonald, F, Zeger, SC, Kolars, JC. Factors Associated with Medical Knowledge Acquisition During Internal Medicine Residency J Gen Intern Med 2007

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Look Up Drug Interactions in UpToDate® (Physician Version)

Did you know that UpToDate® can help you quickly and easily check for interactions between drugs you give your patient? 

The UpToDate drug interactions program allows you to look up drug-to-drug and drug-to-herb interactions. It’s especially convenient for physicians to check this information while completing order sets, or when outside the patient record in the electronic medical record. To utilize this feature, click on the Drug Interactions link found under the search box on the UpToDate home page.

In addition, there are more than 5,100 unique drug topics in adult, pediatric and international drugs embedded within the text of UpToDate. So Physicians can also look up drug information by simply entering the drug name in the search box. 

To access UpToDate, click on the desktop icon located on your computer workstation or visit www.uptodate.com/contents/search. 

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Look Up Drug Interactions in UpToDate® (Nursing Version)

Did you know that UpToDate® can help you quickly and easily check for interactions between drugs you give your patient?

The UpToDate drug interactions program allows you to look up drug-to-drug and drug-to-herb interactions. It’s especially convenient for nurses to check this information while completing order sets, or when outside the patient record in the electronic medical record. To utilize this feature, click on the Drug Interactions link found under the search box on the UpToDate home page.

In addition, there are more than 5,100 unique drug topics in adult, pediatric, and international drugs embedded within the text of UpToDate. So nurses can also look up drug information by simply entering the drug name in the search box. 

To access UpToDate, click on the desktop icon located on your computer workstation or visit www.uptodate.com/contents/search. 

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Let’s Look It Up 1 in UpToDate® (Physician Version)

As a physician, you face many different medical situations, often in a single day. So how do you answer clinical questions quickly at the point of care?

Patient presents: A 32 year old swimming pool maintenance man was struck on the head by a high-pressure hose, which came loose from a tank while he was cleaning a pool. He was thrown to the ground, but did not lose consciousness and had no amnesia surrounding the event. When he was seen one hour after the event, he felt slightly "woozy" but was otherwise asymptomatic and without significant external evidence of trauma or neurological deficits.

Question: What diagnostic steps should be taken when treating a patient with the possibility of a mild traumatic brain injury?

How would you diagnose this patient? To see how your diagnosis compares with UpToDate®, go to www.uptodate.com/contents/search, type “concussion” into the search box and click “Go.”

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Let’s Look It Up 1 in UpToDate® (Nursing Version)

As a nurse, you encounter a wide range of scenarios on a daily basis. So how do you find answers to questions that come up while you are working? 

Patient scenario: You are checking vital signs on a newborn infant, monitoring temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate.  

Which of the following indicates a normal respiratory rate?

  1. 25 breaths per minute
  2. 50 breaths per minute
  3. 70 breaths per minute
  4. 80 breaths per minute

To confirm the correct answer, go to www.uptodate.com/contents/search, type “newborn exam” into the search box and click “Go.” 

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Let’s Look It Up 2 in UpToDate® (Physician Version)

As a physician, you encounter a wide range of medical scenarios every day. So how do you find answers to clinical questions that arise at the point of care?

Patient presents: A 50 year old woman is obese (BMI = 32) and has hypertension. She has not achieved weight loss despite counseling for diet and lifestyle changes. 

Question: What is the best medication for pharmacologic management of her obesity?

How would you diagnose this patient? To see how your recommendation compares with UpToDate®, go to www.uptodate.com/contents/search, type “obesity drugs” into the search box and click “Go.” 

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Let’s Look It Up 2 in UpToDate® (Nursing Version)

As a nurse, you face many different clinical situations. So how do you find answers to questions that arise at the point of care? 

Patient scenario: A 60-year old male is admitted with a myocardial infarction. He is not experiencing chest pain at this time. You review the ECG strip and note that the P-R interval is 0.16 seconds. 

You determine that a P-R interval of 0.16 indicates which of the following?

First degree A-V block

  1. An abnormal finding
  2. An impending infarction
  3. A normal finding

To confirm the correct answer, go to www.uptodate.com/contents/search, type “ECG P-R interval” into the search box and click “Go.” 

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UpToDate® Helps Nurses Find Clinical Information Quickly

<Hospital Name> has purchased a subscription to UpToDate®, which is currently available on all hospital computers.  

What is UpToDate? 

UpToDate is a clinical decision support resource designed for use at the point of care. The program includes more than 10,000 searchable topics in over 20 specialties, more than 135 clinical calculators, and a drug database and drug interactions program (in partnership with Lexicomp®) that cover over 5,100 adult, pediatric, and international drug topics. UpToDate also offers two different types of patient education topics, The Basics and Beyond the Basics, so that clinicians can provide materials appropriate to their patients’ needs. 

A recent survey1 conducted at hospitals and clinics where UpToDate was available showed that nurses not only sought information several times per week, but that UpToDate was one of the most frequently used sources to find the answers. 

The results also showed that among nurses: 

  • 93% used UpToDate to educate themselves or review recommendations
  • 82% used UpToDate to find information about a specific drug
  • 69% used UpToDate to educate their patients
  • 62% used UpToDate to find information about a procedure 

How Can I Access UpToDate at the Hospital? 

Nurses at <Hospital Name> can access UpToDate by clicking on the desktop icon located on their computer workstations or by going to www.uptodate.com/contents/search.

For more information or questions regarding how to use UpToDate, contact <Contact Name> at <phone number> or <email address>.

1. Bonis, P, Francis, E, Damaske, J. Nurses’ information needs: a multicenter survey 2009; UpToDate Inc., Waltham, MA.

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UpToDate® Helps Physicians Answer Clinical Questions More Quickly

Every day, physicians encounter clinical questions in the course of their daily practice. In fact, studies have shown that:1

  • Approximately 2 out of 3 clinical encounters generates a question
  • Physicians have approximately 11 clinical questions a day
  • Only 40% of these questions get answered
  • Answering all clinical questions could change 5 to 8 patient management decisions each day

UpToDate® makes finding clinical answers easier by providing current, evidence-based information in an organized, searchable format. What’s more, that information is available where clinicians need it the most — at the point of care.

All clinicians within <Hospital Name> now have access to UpToDate. To perform a search using the program, click on the UpToDate icon on your desktop or go to www.uptodate.com/contents/search from any <Hospital Name> computer. Users at non-<Hospital Name> locations should log on to <Hospital Name>’s network before accessing www.uptodate.com/contents/search.

1. Covell, DG. Ann Intern Med 1985; 103:596; Green, ML. AM J Med 2002; 109:218; Osheroff, JA. Ann Intern Med 1991:575; Ely, JW. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2005; 12:217; Gorman, PN. Med Decis Making 1995; 15:113.

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UpToDate® Search Topic of the Month

Topic: 

Search submitted by: 

Clinical question that prompted search: 

How the answer(s) found helped to make or change a patient management decision: 

Has UpToDate® recently helped you make an important patient management decision? Send your stories to <contact name> at <email address> to be considered for inclusion in a future edition. 

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See What's New in UpToDate®

UpToDate® is updated regularly based on a continuous comprehensive review of over 450 peer-reviewed journals, clinical databases and other resources. Updates are integrated carefully, with specific recommendations as to how they should be applied clinically, and after extensive peer review. The editorial team shares these updates with clinicians via the What’s New section, which is organized by specialty.  

In some cases, new findings can have important and immediate implications for how clinicians practice. In these instances, updates appear in both the appropriate specialty and in Practice Changing UpDates, a separate category within What’s New and in the main table of contents. 

To view recently updated topics, click on the What’s New tab and then on the specialty you’re interested in. Or simply type "what's new" into the search box after you have logged in to UpToDate.

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UpToDate® Is Now Available to All Clinicians at <Hospital Name>

UpToDate®, an evidence-based clinical decision support system, is now available to all <Hospital Name> clinicians.  

To access UpToDate, click on the UpToDate icon on your desktop or go to www.uptodate.com/contents/search from any <Hospital Name> computer. Users at non-<Hospital Name> locations should log on to <Hospital Name>’s network before accessing www.uptodate.com/contents/search.

UpToDate includes original content that is written, reviewed and continually updated by a faculty of more than 5,100 leading physicians. In addition, UpToDate offers:

  • More than 10,000 topics in more than 20 specialties
  • Graded treatment recommendations
  • Links to full text articles (provided your institution subscribes to a service that allows this access)
  • Drug database and drug interactions program (in partnership with Lexicomp®), including adult, pediatric and international drugs with drug-to-drug and drug-to-herb interactions
  • Medical calculators
  • What’s New (summary of important new findings by specialty)
  • Practice Changing UpDates
  • Patient information

UpToDate is used by more than 700,000 clinicians in 158 countries. The program impacts thousands of decisions made by clinicians every day.

If you have any questions about UpToDate, please call their Customer Service department at +1-781-392-2000.

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