NICS launches first 'Evidence-Practice Gaps Report' (CC-Info, 4 March, 2004)

Yasmin Standfield ystandfield@nicsl.com.au

The National Institute of Clinical Studies (NICS) has published a major report detailing 11 areas where gaps currently exist between what we know and what is actually being done in day-to-day practice in Australia.

The NICS 'Evidence-Practice Gaps Report - Volume 1' spans a wide range of clinical areas highlighting issues across the continuum of care from prevention to follow up, such as, prescribing antibiotics for the common cold and acute bronchitis; advising on smoking cessation; screening for lung cancer with chest X-rays and managing acute and cancer pain in hospital patients.

For each of the topics covered, the report clearly and concisely explains why the area is important, what the best available evidence relating to the condition is, how current practice departs from the evidence and what the implications are.

Extensive references are cited for each of the 11 areas covered, including authoritive sources such as Cochrane systematic reviews and National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines. The publication was also comprehensively reviewed and fine-tuned by 34 leading experts from applicable fields prior to publication.

The first volume of the 32-page Evidence Practice Gaps Report is now available via the NICS website: www.nicsl.com.au (following the 'Quick Links ' to The Gaps Report).