PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - J R Geddes
AU  - D Game
AU  - N E Jenkins
AU  - L A Peterson
AU  - G R Pottinger
AU  - D L Sackett
TI  - What proportion of primary psychiatric interventions are based on evidence from randomised controlled trials?
AID  - 10.1136/qshc.5.4.215
DP  - 1996 Dec 01
TA  - Quality in Health Care
PG  - 215--217
VI  - 5
IP  - 4
4099  - http://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/5/4/215.short
4100  - http://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/5/4/215.full
SO  - Qual Health Care1996 Dec 01; 5
AB  - 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.