%0 Journal Article %A J R Geddes %A D Game %A N E Jenkins %A L A Peterson %A G R Pottinger %A D L Sackett %T What proportion of primary psychiatric interventions are based on evidence from randomised controlled trials? %D 1996 %R 10.1136/qshc.5.4.215 %J Quality in Health Care %P 215-217 %V 5 %N 4 %X OBJECTIVES: To estimate the proportion of psychiatric inpatients receiving primary interventions based on randomised controlled trials or systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials. DESIGN: Retrospective survey. SETTING: Acute adult general psychiatric ward. SUBJECTS: All patients admitted to the ward during a 28 day period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary interventions were classified according to whether or not they were supported by evidence from randomised controlled trials or systematic reviews. RESULTS: The primary interventions received by 26/40 (65%; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 51% to 79%) of patients admitted during the period were based on randomised trials or systematic reviews. CONCLUSIONS: When patients were used as the denominator, most primary interventions given in acute general psychiatry were based on experimental evidence. The evidence was difficult to locate; there is an urgent need for systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials in this area. %U https://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/qhc/5/4/215.full.pdf