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DynaMed

Introduction

DynaMed Introduction

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

Creating Your Account

Creating Your Account

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:

  1. Access DynaMed from the Knight-Capron Library (linked above) and click the icon in the top toolbar of the screen.

    DynaMed home screen with account icon highlighted

  2. Click Create Account in the box that appears.

    Sign in window displayed on DynaMed home screen

  3. 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:

    • Must be at least 6 characters long
    • Must contain at least one special character
    • Must contain at least one number
    • Can not contain any words that are excluded. (e.g."dynamed" and "ebsco")
  4. Complete the fields in the Your Information area and click Register.

    register a personal account screen

  5. 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.

  6. The account creation process is complete and you are signed in to your new DynaMed personal account. 

Resetting Your Password

If you have forgotten your password, you can use your email address to retrieve your password.

To reset your password:

  1. From the Sign In Screen, click Forgot password?

  2. Enter your email address and click Continue. You are prompted to check your email for a security code.

  3. Enter the security code and set a new password.

Updating your DynaMed Personal Account

To update your personal account

  1. Click the icon in the toolbar at the top of the screen and click Account Settings in the box that appears.

    Account options displayed on DynaMed home screen

  2. Re-enter your personal account login information to confirm your identity and click Sign In.

  3. 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.

  4. Close the My account window or tab when you are finished updating your information.


 

Navigating the Content

Searching

Searching in DynaMed

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:

  1. 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.

    DynaMed search screen

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

    DynaMed result list with Images and Videos tab highlighted

  5. 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.

    Result list with menu icon highlighted

  6. Click a section heading to go directly to that section of the topic.

    DynaMed headings for topic highlighted on result list

Browsng Topics by Speicialty

Browseing Topics by Speicialty

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:

  1. Click the Specialties menu link.

    DynaMed home screen with Specialties link highlighted

  2. 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.

    DynaMed specialties menu

  3. Continue making selections until you find a Topic to read.

    List of DynaMed specialties

  4. Your chosen topic is displayed.

    DynaMed topic page

Following Topics

Following Topics

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:

  1. Ensure you are signed in to DynaMed with your personal user account.

  2. From a DynaMed topic, click the Follow icon to the right of the topic title.

    DynaMed topic screen with follow icon highlighted

    The alert pop-up box is displayed

  3. 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.

    topic follow options displayed
  4. Click Follow.

  5. Once a topic is followed, you receive confirmation that you elected to follow the topic and receive emails.

  6. 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.

    Manage and My Followed Content links on Home screen

  7. 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.

    List of followed content displayed


 

Using Decision Aids

Clinical Calculators

Clinical Calculators

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:

  1. Click the Clinical Calculators link in the toolbar at the top of the screen.

    Clinical Calculators link

  2. Click to expand a category to display the available calculators.

    Expanded clinical calculators category

  3. You can click Information button to learn more about a calculator in the list.

    Calculator information displayed

  4. Click a hyperlinked name in the list to open the calculator.

  5. 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 Information button to learn more about a field.

    Calculator information fields

  6. Review the Patient Assessment and Clinical Guidance.

    Click Information Edit button next to Patient Information to update the patient's information in the calculator.

    Click information button to learn more about an assessment result.

    calculator results

  7. Click the Patient Chart Note icon to display a clinician note to be copied and pasted into a patient's medical record.

    Patient chart note

Shared Decision Aids

Shared Decision Aids

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.


  1. Click Shared Decision-Making Tools in the toolbar at the top of the screen.

    Shared Decision-Making Tools link in toolbar

  2. Click to expand a category to display the available decision-making tools.

    Categories of Shared Decision-Making Tools

  3. Note the indicators for each tool displayed.

    • Add Patient Data Indicator: Indicates that a tool allows the clinician to enter patient data to customize the shared-decision results.

    • Shared Decision-Making Calculator indicator: Indicates that a tool includes a shared decision-making calculator.

    • Patient FAQs indicator: Indicates that a tool includes patient FAQs.

    • Information indicator: Click the info icon to display information about the tool including purpose and patient eligibility.

  4. Click a hyperlinked title in the list to open a shared decision-making tool.

    Hyperlinked titles of Shared Decision-Making Tools

  5. 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.

    Patient Information screen

  6. 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.

    Patient Assessment and Clinical Guidance screen

  7. 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.

    Viewing Treatment Options screen

  8. Click the Patient Chart Note icon to display a clinician note to be copied and pasted into a patient's medical record.

    Patient Chart Note screen

  9. 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.

    Option Grid screen

  10. Returning to the Home screen of DynaMed Decisions, you can see tools that have been bookmarked are easily accessed from the My Tools area.

    Home screen with bookmarked

Customizing Decision Aids

Customizing Decision Aids

To customize a decision aid:

  1. After reaching the Patient Options screen of the Shared Decision-Making Tool, click the Option Grid link to display the decision aid.

    Option Grid Decision Aid

  2. 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.

    Decision Aid with open Show/Hide drop-down menu

  3. Click the View drop-down menu to toggle between the Grid View or the List View of the decision aid.

    Decision Aid with open Grid View drop-down menu

  4. Use the icons at the top of the decision aid to:

    • QR code icon - 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.

    • Link icon - 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.

Claiming CME/CE Credits

Claiming CME/CE Credits

To claim your Continuing Medical Education credits/contact hours in DynaMed:

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

    DynaMed home screen with CME indicator highlighted

  3. 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.

    DynaMed topic with CME indicator highlighted

  4. When you are ready to submit your available CME/CE/CPD credits, click CME in the toolbar.

  5. 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.

  6. Check the boxes for the credits you would like to claim and then click the Prepare button below.

    Claim CME screen

  7. On the next screen, answer the Application in Practice questions and click Continue.

    Applications in practice questions screen

  8. Fill out the optional Evaluation and General Comments/Feedback to Editors sections and click Submit.

  9. 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.

    Claimed tab of CME screen with View PDF links

Video Demos

DynaMed Tutorial

DynaMed Video