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What is BMJ Best Practice?

BMJ Best Practice is a clinical decision support tool based around the patient consultation. It provides step-by-step guidance on symptom evaluation, treatment, follow-up, and prevention. It takes you quickly to the latest evidence-based information. It is available whenever and wherever you need it.

Use BMJ Best Practice to:

  • Search thousands of clinical topics and over 6,000 clinical guidelines
  • Find answers fast using a layout based on the patient consultation
  • Access the latest evidence anywhere using the BMJ Best Practice app
  • Get step-by-step guidance using unique treatment algorithm tables
  • Check prescription guidance using drug databases and over 250 medical calculators
  • Stay current with Important Updates
  • Download information leaflets for your patients
  • Ensure your ongoing professional development, with automatic CME/CPD tracking

Logging on to BMJ Best Practice

  1. Click here to access BMJ Best Practice
  2. Sign in with your OpenAthens username and password. No Athens? Register on a Trust computer
  3. Once you have logged in you will be prompted to create a FREE personal account. Using your personal account, you can:
    1. Access the BMJ Best Practice App
    2. Gain CME/CPD certificates for your time spent on BMJ Best Practice.

The image below shows the OpenAthens login screen and the form to register for a personal account.

Browsing and searching BMJ Best Practice Homepage

  • Enter your keywords into the main search box on the home page
  • Click on Specialties to browse BMJ Best Practice
  • Click on Recent Updates to see the latest updates
  • Click on Calculators to get over 250 evidence-based medical calculators
  • Click on Multimedia to access videos and podcasts.

Searching BMJ Best Practice

The main way to search BMJ Best Practice is by typing a condition into the home page’s search box. You can, however, also search by symptoms or drugs. The image below shows the search results for stroke. To view the article, click on the title. Results:

  • Provide results in order of relevance
  • Provide links to jump to jump to individual sections of an article
  • Provide links to patient information leaflets and drug calculators

Viewing a BMJ Best Practice Condition

Articles are split up into the following areas:

  • Overview
  • Theory
  • Diagnosis
  • Management
  • Follow up
  • Resources

Useful information includes:

  • When the page was last reviewed
  • Latest updates for the condition
  • A summary of the condition
  • Images
  • Patient information
  • UK and overseas guidelines

Download the BMJ Best Practice App in 4 Simple steps

  1. Create your BMJ Best Practice Personal account.
  2. Visit the Apple or Google Play store to search for the BMJ Best Practice app
  3. Download the app
  4. Login to the app with your personal account