10-year review shows global reach for BestBETs for Vets

CURRENT BRIEF VERSION: A 10-year review of the BestBETs for Vets database found that the evidence resource remained relatively small but globally used, with 96 critically appraised topics published across 27 subject areas and website users coming from more than 190 countries. The study, published in Veterinary Record Open, analyzed both the content of the database and website analytics, finding that canine medicine and reproduction were the most common topic areas, and that most users arrived directly rather than through search or referral traffic. BestBETs for Vets, developed by the University of Nottingham’s Centre for Evidence-based Veterinary Medicine, is designed to give veterinarians quick, structured summaries of the best available evidence for specific clinical questions, rather than prescriptive guidance. (nottingham.ac.uk)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the paper is a useful snapshot of both progress and gaps in evidence-based clinical support. The University of Nottingham describes BestBETs as a practical tool for informed clinical decision-making, journal clubs, and even guideline development, but also notes that each review is based on searches of two databases, CAB Abstracts and MEDLINE, so some relevant evidence may still be missed. That makes the review important not just as a usage report, but as a reminder that point-of-care evidence tools can help busy clinicians work more consistently while still requiring judgment, local context, and continued investment in topic coverage. Broader commentary on evidence-based veterinary medicine has also emphasized that resources such as BestBETs for Vets and RCVS Knowledge summaries help clinicians translate research into practice, especially when time and literature appraisal skills are limiting factors. And that need for practical evidence support is not unique to veterinary medicine: a recent Drug Safety scoping review of causality assessment tools identified 18 tools developed or updated between 2008 and 2023, most of them algorithm-based, and concluded that even structured tools still have important limits and may need future refinement with biomarkers and context-specific factors. (nottingham.ac.uk)

What to watch: The next question is whether platforms like BestBETs for Vets expand topic coverage, update older appraisals, and show stronger integration into everyday practice, teaching, and guideline development. More broadly, the wider evidence ecosystem is moving toward more tailored decision-support tools for specific settings, populations, and adverse-event questions, which could shape expectations for veterinary resources as well. (nottingham.ac.uk)