DynaMed is an evidence-based point-of-care information resource that includes drug and disease information. In recent years, DynaMed has made several upgrades to its interface and content.
This guide will help you to:
1 | Learn what DynaMed is and how to set up an account
2 | Navigate the content by searching, browsing, and following topics
3 | Utilize decision aids
4 | Claim CME/CE credits
You can set up a Personal Account that allows you to use all of DynaMed's personalized features, including CME. With a Personal Account, you can sign in to DynaMed from anywhere, including the browser on your mobile device and the DynaMed mobile app for Apple and Android devices.
Note: If you have access to DynaMed through more than one institution, you may affiliate your Personal Account with multiple institutions.
To set up a Personal Account:
Access DynaMed from the Knight-Capron Library (linked above) and click the icon in the top toolbar of the screen.
Click Create Account in the box that appears.
On the Register for a Personal Account screen, enter an Email Address and Password to be used as your log in credentials.
Note: When creating a password, ensure your password meets the following criteria:
Complete the fields in the Your Information area and click Register.
After clicking Register, you are prompted to read the Personal Data Retention and Usage policy. Select the Yes button to consent to the collection of your personalized data and click Continue to finish setting up your account.
The account creation process is complete and you are signed in to your new DynaMed personal account.
If you have forgotten your password, you can use your email address to retrieve your password.
To reset your password:
From the Sign In Screen, click Forgot password?
Enter your email address and click Continue. You are prompted to check your email for a security code.
Enter the security code and set a new password.
To update your personal account
Click the icon in the toolbar at the top of the screen and click Account Settings in the box that appears.
Re-enter your personal account login information to confirm your identity and click Sign In.
Click the Edit button for the information you would like to update - such as to change your Name or Personal Information. Enter the updated information and click Save.
Close the My account window or tab when you are finished updating your information.
When searching DynaMed, you have the ability to view a result list of topics related to your search terms or go directly to a specific DynaMed topic when one matches your terms.
To search DynaMed:
Begin entering your search term(s) in the search box.
As you type, DynaMed topics and searches matching your terms appear below the search box.
Select a DynaMed topic under Go To to go directly to the topic or select a search term under Search For to view a result list.
You can also click the Magnifying Glass in the search box at any time to view a result list.
Note: To search DynaMed in a specific language, select your desired language from the drop-down menu and enter your search terms.
DynaMed displays a Result List. The topics in the Result List are ordered by relevance, based on the term you entered. Note that the term(s) might not exist in the topic title.
If Images or Video related to your search terms are available, they can be accessed via the tabs at the top of the result list.
If there is a Calculator related to your search terms, it will appear at the top of your result list.
You can also narrow your results by selecting a content type in the column on the left.
Click a topic title to view the full topic or click the menu icon to the right to view the section headings of the topic.
Click a section heading to go directly to that section of the topic.
Browse topics by specialty from anywhere in DynaMed by using the Topics link available on the Home screen or from the menu in the upper-left of any other DynaMed screen.
To browse DynaMed topics by specialty:
Click the Specialties menu link.
Choose a specialty to browse.
Note: When signed in with your personal account, you can follow an entire specialty by clicking the Follow button for any specialty listed.
Continue making selections until you find a Topic to read.
Your chosen topic is displayed.
Following DynaMed topics allows you to receive email notification when they have been updated. In addition, when signed in with your personal user account, your followed topics and alerts are displayed on the Home screen.
To follow a topic in DynaMed:
Ensure you are signed in to DynaMed with your personal user account.
From a DynaMed topic, click the Follow icon to the right of the topic title.
The alert pop-up box is displayed
Select to receive All Email Alerts, Only Potentially Practice-Changing Email Alerts or to view alerts on the DynaMed Home screen while receiving no emails.
Click Follow.
Once a topic is followed, you receive confirmation that you elected to follow the topic and receive emails.
Returning to the Home screen, click the Manage link under Recent Alerts OR click the account icon and select My Followed Content to view your followed topics and specialties.
The list of your followed content is displayed on the screen. Click the X to close the window or click the trashcan icon for a topic or specialty to stop following it. You can click the Follow icon on the topic to stop receiving alerts.
DynaMed Decisions Clinical Calculators are evidence-based, clinical decision support tools created by physicians to facilitate clinicians' workflows.
To use Clinical Calculators in DynaMed Decisions:
Click the Clinical Calculators link in the toolbar at the top of the screen.
Click to expand a category to display the available calculators.
You can click to learn more about a calculator in the list.
Click a hyperlinked name in the list to open the calculator.
Enter the patient's information in the fields provided and make selections for the required fields and click Calculate. (Required fields are noted with an asterisk*.)
Click to learn more about a field.
Review the Patient Assessment and Clinical Guidance.
Click next to Patient Information to update the patient's information in the calculator.
Click to learn more about an assessment result.
Click the Patient Chart Note icon to display a clinician note to be copied and pasted into a patient's medical record.
DynaMed Decisions shared decision-making tools cover a variety of specialties and are designed to enable health care providers and patient have meaningful conversations. Developed by a team of clinical expert, using the most current evidence, these tools allow providers to easily uncover patients’ values, concerns and unique preferences and ensure the treatment chosen is the best fit for each patient.
When signed into your personal account, you can bookmark decision-making tools for ease of access during a later session. Bookmarked tools appear in the My Tools area of the DynaMed Decisions home screen.
Click Shared Decision-Making Tools in the toolbar at the top of the screen.
Click to expand a category to display the available decision-making tools.
Note the indicators for each tool displayed.
: Indicates that a tool allows the clinician to enter patient data to customize the shared-decision results.
: Indicates that a tool includes a shared decision-making calculator.
: Indicates that a tool includes patient FAQs.
: Click the info icon to display information about the tool including purpose and patient eligibility.
Click a hyperlinked title in the list to open a shared decision-making tool.
If your selected tool takes patient information, enter that information, make your selections and click View Assessment & Guidance. Fields that include an asterisk* are required fields.
Note: If signed into your personal account, click the bookmark icon to add the tool to My Tools, from which you can easily access it later from the Home screen.
Review the Patient Assessment and Clinical Guidance that is displayed then click View Patient Options.
Note: You can click an Information icon to view more details about each assessment value.
Select a treatment option on the Key Data screen to view the treatment outcomes for those patients with the previously selected criteria. You can also change the Year and People values from the drop-down menus to view an expanded version of the graph that displays treatment results for over a period of 5 years and/or 1000 people.
Click the Patient Chart Note icon to display a clinician note to be copied and pasted into a patient's medical record.
Click the Option Grid tab to view the Option Grid Decision Aid for the selected condition. You can learn more about using Decision Aids here.
Returning to the Home screen of DynaMed Decisions, you can see tools that have been bookmarked are easily accessed from the My Tools area.
To customize a decision aid:
After reaching the Patient Options screen of the Shared Decision-Making Tool, click the Option Grid link to display the decision aid.
As you view the decision aid, you can click the X in a column header to hide treatment options you do not wish to view.
You can also use the Show/Hide drop-down menu to show or hide the treatment option columns.
Click the View drop-down menu to toggle between the Grid View or the List View of the decision aid.
Use the icons at the top of the decision aid to:
- Click to display a QR code to share with your patient. When the patient scans the QR code with their mobile device, they can immediately open the decision aid on their device's web browser. Hidden options will not be shown but are available to the patient by selecting the Unhide option.
- Click to create a link to the decision aid to share with your patient. Hidden options will not be shown but are available to the patient by selecting the Unhide option.
- Click to create a PDF of the decision aid which can be saved to your device or printed and shared with the patient.
To claim your Continuing Medical Education credits/contact hours in DynaMed:
Sign into DynaMed with your Personal Account credentials.
Note: If you do not have a Personal Account, please first complete the steps found at: Signing up for a Personal Account to access DynaMed.
After logging in, note the Continuing Medical Education (CME) indicator in the toolbar. The number displayed indicates how many CME/CE/CPD credits you have available to submit for a certificate.
As you read DynaMed topics, the system tracks your activity and CME/CE/CPD credits for your topics are automatically added to the number in the toolbar to be submitted at a time of your choosing.
When you are ready to submit your available CME/CE/CPD credits, click CME in the toolbar.
The first time you claim a credit, you may be prompted to enter your address and select the type of CME/CPD/CE credits you are claiming. Once you fill this out, you are not required to provide this information again.
You can also add to your information on the MOC tab to collect MOC points. (Optional)
Note: You can update your information at any time by clicking the Settings icon.
Check the boxes for the credits you would like to claim and then click the Prepare button below.
On the next screen, answer the Application in Practice questions and click Continue.
Fill out the optional Evaluation and General Comments/Feedback to Editors sections and click Submit.
Your credits are added to the Claimed tab from which you can access a PDF copy of your certificate by clicking the View PDF link.
* Sources: Content sourced from EBSCO Connect and EBSCO Academy tutorials and articles.
