The Bottom Line
- Stop arguing about the “best” tool; choose tools by role: national guidance vs primary-care summary vs point-of-care CDS vs ultra-fast reference.
- CKS wins on practical primary-care structure; NICE wins on national position; BNF wins on medicines; BMJ/UpToDate win on broad, structured CDS.
- Your aim is a stable workflow that improves speed and defensibility, not more tabs.
This page is intentionally non-clinical. It does not teach diagnosis or management. It teaches a decision framework: which resource to open first, based on intent. This is the kind of clarity that converts high-impression searches into clicks because it matches what the clinician is actually trying to do in the moment.
1
Intent A — National position / defensibility → NICE
If you need the national recommendation baseline or wording strength context, use NICE guidance first. This is the anchor for governance-heavy questions.
2
Intent B — Practical primary-care structure → CKS
If you need a fast, structured primary-care summary with navigable sections, CKS is typically the quickest starting point.
3
Intent C — Medicines depth → BNF/BNFC
If medicines are central, go to BNF/BNFC for definitive details and safety checks. Treat it as a separate layer, not an optional add-on.
4
Intent D — Broad point-of-care CDS → BMJ Best Practice / UpToDate
If you need a broad, structured clinical decision support approach (often with frequent updates and deep topic coverage), use a CDS tool designed around the consultation workflow.
5
Intent E — Ultra-fast reference / quick reminders → GPnotebook
If your need is speed over depth (quick definitions, quick pathways, short entries), an ultra-fast reference tool can reduce friction—then pivot to official guidance for defensibility.
6
The ‘two-layer’ habit that saves time
Open a structure layer (CKS or a CDS tool) and a medicines layer (BNF). Add NICE guidance when the question has governance consequences. This layering prevents circular searching.
Avoid false certainty
A clean summary can feel definitive even when it isn’t. Your safest pattern is layered verification plus date awareness. Trust rises when you can show the chain: CKS/CDS → NICE (if needed) → BNF → local policy.
SourceNICE CKS: About (official)
Open Link SourceAbout NICE guidelines (official)
Open Link SourceBMJ Best Practice: about (official)
Open Link SourceUpToDate: clinical decision support (official)
Open Link SourceGPnotebook: about (official)
Open Link SourceRelated: The UK Clinician Knowledge Stack (iatroX)
Open Link