Clinical Decision Support Tools
UpToDate and BMJ Best Practice are clinical decision support tools available to all East Cheshire NHS Trust staff and students here on placement. They both provide quick access to evidence-based information but have slightly different features.
UpToDate
UpToDate includes summaries and treatment recommendations for over 11,000 clinical topics, drug information, practice-changing updates, medical calculators and much more. UpToDate has a US bias. Using UpToDate earns CME/CPD credits.
Access
To register for a personal account, access UpToDate through the linke in the start menu on any Trust computer that is connected to the network. Make sure it says ‘East Cheshire NHS Trust’ in the top-right corner, then click the ‘Register’ button. Complete the short online form, choosing your username and password.
Once you’ve registered, you can sign in on any device by visiting www.uptodate.com.
You can also download the UpToDate app for access on the go.
Alternatively, sign in with your NHS Athens account (not available on the app).
You’ll be contacted by UpToDate every 3 months to renew your account. To renew your account, you’ll need to open UpToDate via the link in the Start Menu on a trust PC which is connected to the network and sign in with your username and password. You’ll then see a message saying that your access has been extended for a further 3 months.
Guides
View or download our UpToDate leaflet at the link below or watch our video guide on creating an UpToDate account. You can also access UpToDate training videos here.
BMJ Best Practice
BMJ Best Practice includes thousands of clinical topics, over 6,000 clinical guidelines, patient information leaflets, prescription guidance, and a comorbities manager. BMJ Best Practice has a UK bias, and includes automatic CME/CPD tracking.
Access
You can sign in to BMJ Best Practice using your NHS Athens username and password.
If you’re a new user, you will then need to register for a BMJ Best Practice personal account. Use your personal account to download the app for access anywhere, even offline.
Guides
View or download our BMJ Best Practice leaflet at the link below. You can also access additional resources, including video guides, on the BMJ website.