Evidence to Use in Primary Care
If you're looking for independent, evidence-based information on common issues in primary care and clinical practice, you’ll find it here. You may also wish to visit our Evidence Bundles on diabetes, pain, opioids, medical cannabis, and mental health.
We’ve selected the following materials to get you started:
- Virtual Care Use in Primary Care or Specialty Care Settings (Rapid Review, August 17, 2022)
- Improving Access to Primary Care in Canada (Environmental Scan, July 19, 2022)
- Melatonin for the Treatment of Insomnia in Children and Adolescents (Rapid Review, June 10, 2022)
- Intranasal Glucagon for the Treatment of Hypoglycemia (Rapid Review, June 24, 2022)
- Vitamin B12 Testing in People with Suspected Vitamin B12 Deficiency (Rapid Review, March 24, 2022)
- Evaluating the Credibility of Health Websites: Can You Trust Dr. Google?(Tools, March 25, 2020)
- Tips and resources for determining whether a health website contains reliable health information.
In this Bundle
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Detection and Diagnosis of Sepsis in Rural and Remote Areas: An Environmental Scan
(Environmental Scan, January 9, 2019)
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Appropriate Pharmacotherapy for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
(Technology Review, June 6, 2019)
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Real-Time Continuous Glucose Monitoring for People Living With Type 1 Diabetes
(Rapid Review, August 22, 2022)
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Intermittently Scanned and Real-Time Continuous Glucose Monitoring for People With Diabetes
(Rapid Review, July 6, 2022)
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Intranasal Glucagon for the Treatment of Hypoglycemia
(Summary with Critical Appraisal, June 24, 2022)
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Vitamin B12 Testing in People with Suspected Vitamin B12 Deficiency
(Rapid Review, March 24, 2022)
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Hybrid Closed-Loop Insulin Delivery Systems for People with Type 1 Diabetes
(Optimal Use, June 23, 2021)
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Flash Glucose Monitoring Systems in Pediatric Populations with Diabetes
(Summary with Critical Appraisal, April 6, 2021)
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Flash Glucose Monitoring System FreeStyle Libre to Monitor Glycemia in Patients With Diabetes
(Technology Review, September 24, 2020)
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Pioglitazone for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Pre-Diabetes: A Review of Safety
(Summary with Critical Appraisal, June 22, 2020)
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Drugs for Type 2 Diabetes: Second-Line Therapy Review Update
Short on time? Read the In Brief.
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Self-Sampling Devices for HPV Testing
(Emerging Health Technologies, December 21, 2021)
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Virtual Care Use in Primary Care or Specialty Care Settings
Short on time? Read the Report in Brief.
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Improving Access to Primary Care in Canada
(Environmental Scan, July 19, 2022)
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Melatonin for the Treatment of Insomnia in Children and Adolescents
(Rapid Review, June 10, 2022)
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Melatonin for the Treatment of Insomnia: A 2022 Update
(Rapid Review, May 24, 2022)
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Medications Containing Low-dose Codeine for the Treatment of Pain and Coughs
(Rapid Review, August 20, 2021)
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Laxatives and Erectile Dysfunction Medications to Treat Side Effects of Opioid Agonist and Methadone Maintenance Therapy
(Rapid Review, June 22, 2021)
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Direct to Patient Virtual Visits
(Emerging Health Technologies, June 4, 2021)
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Electronic Aids to Daily Living
Short on time? Read the In Brief.
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2021 Health Technology Trends to Watch
(Roundup, February 4, 2021)
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Connected Devices to Support Remote Examination and Diagnosis in Primary Care and Specialty Care
(Emerging Health Technologies, December 10, 2020)
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Needleless Injectors for the Administration of Vaccines: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness
(Summary with Critical Appraisal, July 17, 2020)
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Primary Care Initiated Gender-Affirming Therapy for Gender Dysphoria: A Review of Evidence Based Guidelines
(Summary with Critical Appraisal, May 1, 2020)
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Skin Preparation for Injections: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness, Cost-Effectiveness and Guidelines
(Summary with Critical Appraisal, April 16, 2020)
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Drugs for the Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis
(Health Technology Assessment, April 25, 2018)
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Urethral Inserts for the Management of Adult Male Urinary Incontinence
(Rapid Review, April 16, 2021)
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Floatation Therapy for Physical Conditions
(Rapid Review, January 10, 2022)
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Hip Protectors for Community-Dwelling Older Adults
(Rapid Review, September 2, 2021)
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Bisphosphonate Drugs for the Treatment of Osteoporosis in Post-Menopausal Women
(Technology Review, June 1, 2021)
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Codeine for Pain Related to Osteoarthritis of the Knee and Hip: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness
(Summary with Critical Appraisal, December 14, 2020)
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Capsaicin for Acute or Chronic Non-Cancer Pain: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness, Safety, and Cost-Effectiveness
(Summary with Critical Appraisal, July 13, 2020)
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Capsaicin for Acute or Chronic Non-Cancer Pain: A Review of Guidelines
(Summary with Critical Appraisal, June 29, 2020)
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Ketamine for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness, Cost-Effectiveness, and Guidelines
(Summary with Critical Appraisal, June 2, 2020)
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External Supports for the Treatment of Ankle Sprain: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness
(Summary with Critical Appraisal, May 7, 2020)
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Pharmacological Interventions for Chronic Pain in Pediatric Patients: A Review of Guidelines
(Summary with Critical Appraisal, May 5, 2020)
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Exercise for the Treatment of Ankle Sprain: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness and Guidelines
(Summary with Critical Appraisal, April 13, 2020)
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Manual Therapy for Persistent, Non-Cancer Back and Neck Pain: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness
(Summary with Critical Appraisal, March 2, 2020)
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Physical Activity for Chronic Osteoarthritic Knee Pain: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness
(Summary with Critical Appraisal, February 17, 2020)
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Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in the Treatment of Chronic Non-Cancer Pain
(Optimal Use, October 3, 2022)
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Patient Navigation Programs for People With Dementia
(Summary with Critical Appraisal, February 24, 2021)
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Non-invasive Nerve Stimulation Modalities for Migraine Pain: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness and Cost-effectiveness
(Summary with Critical Appraisal, April 27, 2020)
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Lasmiditan for the Acute Treatment of Migraine
(Emerging Health Technologies, March 17, 2020)
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Obstetrical Ultrasound During Pregnancy
(Rapid Review, December 16, 2021)
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Prenatal and Postnatal Home Visiting Programs for Parents, Newborns, and Babies: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness, Cost-Effectiveness, and Guidelines
(Summary with Critical Appraisal, February 26, 2020)
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Screening and Treatment of Obstetric Anemia: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness, Cost-Effectiveness, and Guidelines
(Summary with Critical Appraisal, December 6, 2019)
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Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorders during Pregnancy: A Review of Comparative Clinical Effectiveness, Safety, Cost-Effectiveness, and Guidelines
Short on time? Read the In Brief.
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Peer Support Programs for Youth Mental Health
(Health Technology Assessment, November 8, 2022)
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Clinical Effectiveness of Opioid Substitution Treatment
Short on time? Read the In Brief.
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Harm Reduction Interventions to Prevent Overdose
(Policy Insight, August 5, 2021)
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Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, Mood Disorders, or Substance Use Disorders
(Rapid Review, June 25, 2021)
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Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Mental Health Services: A Literature Review
(Rapid Review, June 14, 2021)
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Treatment Programs for Substance Use Disorder
(Summary with Critical Appraisal, June 8, 2021)
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Injectable Opioid Agonist Treatment for Patients with Opioid Dependence: A Review of Clinical and Cost-Effectiveness
(Summary with Critical Appraisal, June 2, 2020)
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Non-pharmacological and Pharmacological Intervention for Smoking Cessation Programs in Youth: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness and Guidelines
(Summary with Critical Appraisal, March 2, 2020)
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Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder: A Review of Comparative Clinical Effectiveness, Safety, Cost-Effectiveness, and Guidelines
Short on time? Read the In Brief.
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Tuberculosis Screening for People with Chronic Conditions
(Summary with Critical Appraisal, May 13, 2021)
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Bacille Calmette-Guérin Vaccination: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness and Guidelines
(Summary with Critical Appraisal, April 6, 2020)
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Masks for Prevention of Influenza Transmission in Acute and Long-Term Care Settings: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness, Cost-Effectiveness and Guidelines
(Summary with Critical Appraisal, March 31, 2020)
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Newer Biologics for the Treatment of Plaque Psoriasis
(Rapid Review, September 23, 2021)
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Adalimumab for Adult Patients with Plaque Psoriasis: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness
(Summary with Critical Appraisal, June 22, 2020)
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Assessing and Managing Chronic Non-Cancer Pain
(Tools, November 30, 2021)
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Artificial Intelligence in Mental Health Services: A Summary of a Literature Review
This summary tool summarizes findings from a literature review that evaluated the published evidence on artificial intelligence (AI) for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health illnesses. It also summarizes findings on the clinical effectiveness of AI applications, purpose of use, patient populations, primary users, and related evidence-based guidelines.
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Codeine for Pain: A Synopsis of the Evidence
A summary of the evidence (based on a number of our reviews) on codeine for pain.
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Non-Opioid Options for Managing Pain
To help support decisions about managing pain, we have been reviewing the evidence on different treatment options for various types of pain. Here, you’ll find the highlights of many of these evidence reviews.
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Acute Pain Management: Non-Pharmacological Interventions
Over the last few years, we have been asked to review, the clinical effectiveness evidence and the recommendations from evidence-based guidelines for treating various acute pain conditions with non-pharmacological interventions. Here, you’ll find the evidence highlights related to those evidence reviews.
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Non-Drug Ways to Manage Chronic Pain
Resources for people living with chronic pain and resources for clinicians.
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Evaluating the Credibility of Health Websites: Can You Trust Dr. Google?
Tips and resources for determining whether a health website contains reliable health information
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Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Major Depression and Anxiety Disorders
Evidence Highlights
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Gabapentin for Adults With Neuropathic Pain: A Review
A summary of five of our reports, published between 2014 and 2018, on gabapentin for neuropathic pain.
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Non-Pharmacological Interventions for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain: The Science of Mindfulness
(Webinar, November 1, 2019)
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Thinking beyond medications for chronic pain management
(Hospital News article, May 2022)
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Rapid tests for the diagnosis of Streptococcal infections: Viable alternative or sorely overrated?
Hospital News Article (September 4, 2018)
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Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: Should we alter our perception of psychedelics for clinical use?
(Hospital News article, October 6, 2021)
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Cervical cancer screening: Is it time for a new test?
Hospital News Article (May 1, 2019)
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What we know about new technologies for managing diabetes (and don’t)
(Hospital News article, June 30, 2021)
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Accessing Mental Health Outside of a Therapist’s Office: iCBT for Major Depression and Anxiety Disorders
On November 27, 2019, CADTH hosted a national Evidence to Action event to introduce evidence reviews led by CADTH and Health Quality Ontario and to discuss the use and implementation of internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) for major depression and anxiety disorders in Canada. In the event, Karilyn Xu (student at York University and iCBT user) , Dr. David Gratzer (Psychiatrist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and Associate Chief of the General Adult Psychiatry and Health Systems Division), Patrick Mitchell (Director of the Mental Health and Addictions Policy, Accountability and Provincial Partnership at the Ontario Ministry of Health), and Dr. Heather Hadjistavropoulos (Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Regina and Founder and Director of the Online Therapy Unit in Saskatchewan) shared their perspectives on using and implementing iCBT for these conditions in Canada.
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Considering the place of codeine in the treatment of osteoarthritis pain
(Hospital News article, June 2, 2021)
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Developments in diabetes management: What do we know about tirzepatide?
(Hospital News article, July 2022)
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Managing crystal meth withdrawal: It’s not crystal clear
Hospital News Article (November 19, 2019)
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Overused and low-value: What to leave behind after COVID-19
(Hospital News article, August 26, 2021)