Speed, accuracy, and confidence in Google, Ovid, PubMed, and UpToDate: results of a randomised trial.

Background: The explosion of biomedical information has led to an 'information paradox'-the volume of biomedical information available has made it increasingly difficult to find relevant information when needed. It is thus increasingly critical for physicians to acquire a working knowledge of biomedical informatics.

Aim: To evaluate four search tools commonly used to answer clinical questions, in terms of accuracy, speed, and user confidence.