Frequently Asked Questions

What is BEEM?

BEEM stands for Best Evidence in Emergency Medicine and is a nonprofit, international, emergency medicine (EM) knowledge translation project started in 2004 at McMaster University, the centre for evidence-based medicine.

BEEM is a unique collaboration of frontline and academic emergency physicians around the world working together to find, select, appraise, and summarize the most recent and relevant emergency medicine-related studies.

BEEM does this by continuously screening over 100 medical journals for the latest emergency medicine-relevant studies. A copy of the title and conclusions of each selected article is sent to BEEM Raters, frontline emergency physicians around the world, who rate each article on its relevance to the clinical practice of emergency medicine. Those articles with the highest ratings are critically appraised by a group of clinical epidemiologists and emergency physicians trained in evidence-based medicine.

The studies that pass all of the quality assessments formulate the Best Evidence in Emergency Medicine and the BEEM reviews are presented at the BEEM Course.

The key objective of BEEM is to make current, clinically relevant information available to all practicing emergency physicians.

What is the BEEM Course?

This is a 12 hour, emergency medicine, continuing medical education event detailing the best evidence for clinical practice.

What are the objectives of the BEEM course?

BEEM’s key objective is to deliver current, clinically relevant information in a relaxing, fun, and interactive learning environment.

How is the BEEM course different from other CME events?

The BEEM Course is a truly evidence-based CME developed by an international group of emergency physician educators and researchers. We present an objective critical appraisal of each study using validated criteria and ask the audience for their assessment of the clinical value.

Who are the presenters at the BEEM Course?

The presenters are emergency physicians from the United States and Canada. Most have academic appointments as teachers and/or researchers with post-graduate training in evidence-based medicine teaching and/or clinical epidemiology.

Who sponsors the BEEM Course?

BEEM is a nonprofit, international knowledge translation project that does not accept any medical industry or related sponsorship.

Is the BEEM Course interactive?

Absolutely! Attendees are collectively asked to evaluate the clinical value of the information and determine for themselves whether the studies provide sufficient evidence for a change in practice. The presenters serve as resource experts on content, critical appraisal, and other areas evidence-based medicine.

Questions and discussions are encouraged but the level of participation is left up to the attendee. Often, the most valuable discussions at previous BEEM courses have been participant driven.

Is any preparation required for attending the BEEM Course?

No, just register and show up!

Are there any training materials for the BEEM Course?

Attendees are provided with a digital manual containing the BEEM reviews of all of the most clinically relevant studies as determined by the BEEM Raters.

What sort of studies are included in the BEEM Course?

We regularly screen over 100 medical journals for studies related to the practice of emergency medicine. Our focus is on prospective studies with patient-oriented outcomes and on clinical practice guidelines but we also include some case-control and database studies. A copy of the title and conclusions of each selected study is sent to BEEM Raters—frontline emergency physicians around the world—who rate each article on its relevance to the clinical practice of emergency medicine.

Those articles with the highest ratings are critically appraised by a group of clinical epidemiologists and emergency physicians trained in evidence-based medicine. The studies that pass all of the quality assessments formulate the Best Evidence in Emergency Medicine and the BEEM reviews are presented at the BEEM Course.

Following is a summary of topics related to pediatric and adult emergencies reviewed by BEEM.

A

Abscesses
Acute Coronary Syndrome
Agitation
Airway
Alpha-blockers
Amiodarone
Angiography
Antibiotic Use
Anticholinergic agents
Anticoagulants
Antiepileptic
Antithrombotics
Apneic oxygenation
Appendicitis
Arthritis
Asthma

B

Back Pain
Bell’s Palsy
Beta-agonists
Bronchiolitis
BRUE
Buckle Fracture

C

Carbon monoxide
Cardiac Arrest
Chest pain
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Clinical practice Guideline
Community-acquired pneumonia
Computed tomography
Concussion
Congestive heart failure
Continuous positive airway pressure

D

D-dimer
Dexamethasone
Diabetic keto-acidosis
Dysrhythmia

E

Effectiveness
Effect size
Endotracheal intubation

F

Fascia iliaca block
Fever

G

Gastroeneteritis
Gout

H

Head Injury
Heart Failure
Heterogeneity
Hip fracture
Hypertonic saline

I

Infectious mononucleosis
Influenza
Intracranial hemorrhage
isopropyl alcohol

J

 

K

Kappa
ketamine-propofol

L

Laryngoscopy
Lidocaine
Lost-to-follow-up

M

Magnesium sulfate
Meta-analyses
Morphine
Myocardial infarction

N

Nasal cannula
Nausea
Neuraminidase inhibitors
Non-inferioriority
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Nursemaid’s elbow

O

Oblique angle chest x-ray
Opioids
Optic nerve sheath diameter
Otitis Media

P

Paracetamol
Percutaneous coronary intervention
Pharyngitis
Placebo
Pneumonia
post-arrest
Procedural sedation
Pulmonary embolism

Q

 

R

Regional Nerve Block
Relapse
Respiratory tract infection
Revascularization

S

Seizure
Sepsis
Shock
Skin & Soft Tissue Infection
ST-elevation myocardial infarction
Status epilepticus
Stings
Stroke
Subarachnoid hemorrhage
Syncope
Systematic review

T

Tamsulosin
Targeted temperature management
Thrombectomy
Troponin
Transfusion

U

Ureteric Calculi

V

Validity
Ventricular fibrillation
Ventricular tachycardia
Video laryngoscopy
Volar digital injection

W

Withdrawal

XYZ

Xray

Plus EBM tips to help you interpret the literature!

Who should take a BEEM course?

The BEEM course is intended for Emergency Physicians, Emergency Medicine Residents and Fellows, Emergency Medicine Physician Assistants, Emergency Medical Services personnel, and Nurse Practitioners.