Improving evidence-based practice in rehabilitation:: Introducing PsycBITE™

Background: Clinicians face significant obstacles in their access to evidence for the efficacy of different communicative and cognitive treatments after brain impairment. These include the need to search across diverse journals and different clinical conditions to find potential treatments and the lack of easily accessible standards by which to evaluate the methodological rigour of treatment studies once found. Aims: We aimed to address these issues by developing a freely available, user-friendly database of all relevant treatment trials for psychologically based disorders that arise from brain impairment. Methods & Procedures: PsycBITE (TM) (http://www.psycbite.com) was developed as an internet-based database and was officially launched in 2004. Included on PsycBITE (TM) are all trials that have been published that evaluate treatment for any communication, cognitive, or psychological disorder arising from any form of acquired brain impairment in children (above the age of 5 years) and adults. PsycBITE (TM) also provides a rating for the methodological rigour of each trial using the previously established PEDro scale (Maher, Sherrington, Herbert, Moseley, & Elkins, 2003) for randomised controlled trials (RCT) and non-RCT group comparisons. A PsycBITE (TM) rating scale for single case experimental studies is still under development. This report overviews the database, its contents, and the methodology by which papers are selected for inclusion. Outcomes & Results: As of June 2005 there are 1167 treatment studies listed on PsycBITE (TM) with prospective searches being conducted on a regular basis. The highest proportion of studies report treatments for communication disorders followed by behavioural problems and memory. Ratings of the randomised controlled trials, group comparisons, and single case studies are available for a proportion of papers and are being updated continuously. Conclusions: PsycBITE (TM) is an invaluable resource for clinicians and researchers interested in an evidence-based practice approach to treatment. It is a free, fast, and effective way of accessing and evaluating treatments for communicative and cognitive disorders following brain impairment.