Researchers at Singapore’s National University Hospital Report that UpToDate® Significantly Impacts Clinical Decision-Making and Practices

WALTHAM, Mass. — (May 15, 2012) — Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading global provider of information for healthcare professionals and students, announced today that new research published in the Singapore Medical Journal found that use of UpToDate® led to changes in investigations, diagnosis or management 37% of the time. The study, “Utility of the Electronic Information Resource UpToDate for Clinical Decision-Making at Bedside Rounds,” also revealed that UpToDate, an evidence-based, physician-authored clinical knowledge system which clinicians trust to make the right point-of-care decisions, provided a satisfactory answer 75% of the time.

The study (Phua J., See KC., Khalizah HJ., Low, SP., Lim, TK. Utility of the Electronic Information Resource UpToDate for Clinical Decision-Making at Bedside Rounds. Singapore Med J. 2012; 53(2). 116) was conducted by researchers at National University Hospital in Singapore. Based on their findings, researchers ultimately concluded that the use of UpToDate may positively impact the practice of evidence-based medicine (EBM).

“Incorporating UpToDate searches into daily bedside rounds was often feasible and useful in addressing unresolved clinical questions. This has potential implications on the practice of EBM, the training of doctors, patient outcomes and healthcare costs,” wrote the authors. “…Despite barriers such as the lack of time, UpToDate searches were fast, provided a satisfactory answer most of the time and led to a change in investigations, diagnosis or management more than one-third of the time.”

The authors further noted that “our own recent studies have also revealed much enthusiasm for UpToDate among our hospital’s doctors.”

“Well-trained doctors still have a multitude of questions that arise in routine clinical practice. Our colleagues in Singapore have demonstrated that seeking the answers to those questions often has an important impact on patient care,” said Peter Bonis, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, UpToDate. “The study adds to previous studies that found similar results and underscores the importance of having access to a trusted knowledge resource such as UpToDate. It is troubling to contemplate practicing contemporary medicine without it.”

About UpToDate

UpToDate^® is an evidence-based, physician-authored clinical knowledge system which clinicians trust to make the right point-of-care decisions. UpToDate’s more than 5,100 world-renowned physician authors, editors and peer reviewers use a rigorous editorial process to synthesize the most recent medical information into trusted, evidence-based recommendations that are proven to improve patient care and quality. More than 600,000 clinicians in 149 countries and almost 90% of academic medical centers in the U.S. rely on UpToDate, and more than 30 research studies confirm UpToDate’s widespread usage and association with improved patient care and hospital performance, including reduced length of stay, adverse complications and mortality.

UpToDate is part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading global provider of information, business intelligence and point-of-care solutions for the healthcare industry. Wolters Kluwer Health is part of Wolters Kluwer, a market-leading global information services company with 2011 annual revenues of €3.4 billion ($4.7 billion).