Consensus vs iatroX (2025): Research Papers vs Clinical Guidelines
At a Glance
Who is it for?
iatroX:Clinicians needing standard-of-care answers.
Consensus / Scite:Researchers/Academics needing the 'cutting edge' or novel data.
Why choose iatroX?
- **Safe for Practice**: Based on approved national guidelines (NICE/BNF), not single studies.
- **Synthesized**: Combines diagnosis, management, and prescribing into a plan.
- **UK Focused**: Filters out irrelevant international data.
- **Medical Device**: Governed for clinical safety.
Why choose Consensus / Scite?
- **Cutting Edge**: Finds papers published *yesterday*, before they make it into guidelines.
- **Broad Scope**: Covers non-clinical topics (policy, economics, basic science).
- **Direct Sources**: Links directly to the PDF of the primary research.
Feature Comparison
| Capability | iatroX | Consensus / Scite |
|---|---|---|
| Source Data | Curated Guidelines (Secondary Evidence) | Raw Academic Papers (Primary Evidence) |
| Reliability | High (Established Consensus) | Variable (Depends on the study quality) |
In-Depth Analysis
Overview
Consensus (and tools like Elicit/Scite) are search engines for science. They read millions of PDFs to answer questions like "Does magnesium help sleep?" by summarizing individual studies. They are brilliant for research.
iatroX is a search engine for practice. In medicine, we generally do not treat patients based on a single new paper; we treat them based on established guidelines that have synthesized that evidence. iatroX retrieves these guidelines.
Key Differences
If you ask Consensus "How do I treat hypertension?", it might show you a new paper from 2024 about a novel drug trial in mice. If you ask iatroX, it will show you the NICE NG136 flowchart that you are legally expected to follow today.
Use-Cases
Treating a Patient
When to choose iatroX
- **Use iatroX.** You need the established, medico-legally defensible standard of care.
When to choose Consensus / Scite
- **Avoid.** A single study found on Consensus might contradict national safety advice.
Writing a Dissertation/Audit
When to choose iatroX
- Good for the 'Introduction' (standard practice).
When to choose Consensus / Scite
- **Essential.** Finds the specific references and novel data needed for academic writing.
FAQs
- Is Consensus free?
- Consensus uses a freemium model. iatroX is free for all users.
- Can iatroX find research papers?
- No. iatroX is designed to retrieve clinical guidelines (NICE, CKS). For raw research papers, Consensus is the better tool.