Update in Outpatient General Internal Medicine: Practice-Changing Evidence Published in 2020

Area of Science:

• Internal Medicine
• Evidence-Based Practice
• Clinical Research Dissemination

Background:

• Keeping up with medical literature is challenging due to the rapid pace of research.
• Identifying practice-changing studies is crucial for updating clinical guidelines and patient care.
• Focusing on non-pandemic research highlights broader shifts in internal medicine.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify significant practice-changing articles in general internal medicine.
• To provide clinicians with a curated list of high-impact research.
• To facilitate the integration of new evidence into outpatient clinical practice.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review of 7 high-impact internal medicine journals was conducted.
• Excluded Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) research to focus on other areas.
• Utilized a modified Delphi method with 7 internists to select articles based on clinical relevance, practice impact, and evidence strength.
• Reviewed supplementary resources like American College of Physicians Journal Club and NEJM Journal Watch.

Main Results:

• Seven practice-changing articles relevant to outpatient general internal medicine were identified.
• Articles were selected based on their potential to modify clinical practice.
• Consensus was reached on the relevance, impact, and strength of evidence for the selected studies.

Conclusions:

• A curated selection of 7 practice-changing articles can help internists stay abreast of critical updates.
• This focused approach aids in disseminating essential research beyond the immediate pandemic context.
• The identified articles represent significant shifts in evidence-based medicine for general internal medicine practice.