New resource to improve access to medical information

A new Leicester initiative is providing access to reliable information in the field of cardiometabolic medicine.

Leicester Real World Evidence Unit, headed by Professor Kamlesh Khunti at the Diabetes Research Centre, has launched ERICAS, a library website of real-world observational studies in cardiometabolic medicine.

There is a huge amount of biomedical literature every year that claims to provide real-world evidence. However, many of the studies that are published in this area have significant methodological problems that can result in incorrect or unreliable conclusions.

ERICAS  provides a central one-stop resource for clinicians, researchers, policy makers and commissioners to access real-world evidence that has been quality assessed by a team of epidemiologists and statisticians and reviewed by a specialist team of clinical faculty members for relevance, importance and clinical applicability.

Professor Khunti said: “This exciting new initiative helps clinicians, researchers and others to make sense of the ever-expanding real-world literature in cardiometabolic medicine. It also allows them to keep up-to-date with the latest news and events in the area, including regular blogs from specialist clinicians.”

• If you would like to become an ERICAS Faculty Member, please contact Leicester Real World Evidence Unit (lrwe@le.ac.uk). To freely access the literature available on ERICAS and receive regular updates, please register on the website.  
• The Leicester Diabetes Centre is an international centre of excellence in diabetes research, education and innovation. Based at Leicester General Hospital, the centre is a partnership between the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and the University of Leicester.