The level of evidence gets higher as you proceed up the pyramid, and the width of each level gives a representation of the amount of information on each level.
Proceeding from lowest to highest level of the pyramid, the levels are:
Single Studies (Lowest pyramid level): Studies represent unique research conducted to answer specific clinical questions
Synopses of Single Studies: These summarize evidence from high-quality studies.
Syntheses: Commonly referred to as a systematic review, a synthesis is a comprehensive summary of all the evidence surrounding a specific research question.
Synopses of Syntheses: These summarize the information found in systematic reviews. By drawing conclusions from evidence at lower levels of the pyramid, these synopses often provide sufficient information to support clinical action.
Summaries: Summaries are regularly updated clinical guidelines or textbooks that integrate evidence-based information about specific clinical problems
Systems (Highest pyramid level): Integrating information from the lower levels of the hierarchy with individual patient records, systems represent the ideal source of evidence for clinical decision-making. An example of a system in this context would be a Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS).
Research Guide:
Editorial Explaining 6S Model:
(Single Studies (Lowest pyramid level): Studies represent unique research conducted to answer specific clinical questions)
(Synopses of Single Studies summarize evidence from high-quality studies)
*Also see Synopses of Syntheses as most resources provide synopses from both categories.
(Commonly referred to as a systematic review, a synthesis is a comprehensive summary of all the evidence surrounding a specific research question)
(Synopses of syntheses summarize the information found in systematic reviews. By drawing conclusions from evidence at lower levels of the pyramid, these synopses often provide sufficient information to support clinical action)
*Also see Synopses of Single Articles as most resources provide synopses from both categories.
Summaries are regularly updated clinical guidelines or textbooks that integrate evidence-based information about specific clinical problems
(Integrating information from the lower levels of the hierarchy with individual patient records, systems represent the ideal source of evidence for clinical decision-making. An example of a system in this context would be a Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS))
Note 1: The resources below are subscription-based. When in the clinical setting the following evidence-based Point-of-Care tools may be available to help you with decision making when you are working with a patient.
Note 2: The below resources are not available from the Ferris Library for Information, Technology and Education (FLITE), but are tools that you may want to know about when doing clinical rotations and following graduation.
The above tools would fall at the Summaries level of the 6S Pyramid.
FLITE Research Guides