The Physicians' Information and Education Resource (PIER) is an electronic, evidence-based, decision-support tool designed for point-of-care use by internists and other physicians. PIER is a product of the American College of Physicians and was launched in 2002.[1]
Information in PIER is presented in a "drill down" format, in which the user clicks from an opening guidance statement through to specific recommendations for treatment and the evidence used to formulate the recommendations.
The South Central Chapter of the Medical Library Association (SCC/MLA) ranked ACP's Physicians' Information and Education Resource (PIER) as the leading evidence-based, point-of-care tool compared to 13 other major evidence-based medical resources.[2] This top grade given by the South Central Chapter is significant, as the national organization represents more than 1,100 institutions in the health sciences information field.
Recently, at the Medical Library Association Annual Meeting, a poster was presented by researchers at the University of Toronto Libraries that placed PIER at the top of the distillation pyramid, where evidence-based material is at its most distilled.[3]
Contents |
Over 490 modules are included on topics in five areas:
All guidance statements and recommendations are given a strength of recommendation rating to help clinicians assess their usefulness. All references included in PIER are also rated on the level of evidence they represent. All PIER modules are written by experts in the field and are peer reviewed. Modules are updated on a regular basis.[4]
The disease-based modules are PIER's core. Each module presents a series of succinct guidance statements and practice recommendations supported by more detailed levels of pertinent rationale and evidence. There are links to abstracts and the full text of carefully selected references; to a comprehensive drug resource; to other ACP knowledge resources, including guidelines, the Medical Knowledge Self-Assessment Program (MKSAP), and Annals of Internal Medicine (including ACP Journal Club); and other resources, including PubMed and various Web sites. Tables, figures, algorithms, and video and audio clips are also included.
PIER is freely available to members of the American College of Physicians as a Web-based service. ACP licenses PIER to institutions and other customers directly or through business partners, who provide it in stand-alone form or integrated with other resources. It is available in desktop and handheld formats. PIER has also been integrated into electronic health records systems.