Definition of Evidence-Based Medicine
Evidence based medicine is the conscientious, explicit, and judicious
use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual
patients. The practice of evidence based medicine means integrating
individual clinical expertise with the best available external clinical
evidence from systematic research. (Sackett DL, Rosenberg WMC, Gray
JAM, Haynes RB, Richardson WS. Evidence based medicine: what it is and
what it isn't. BMJ 1996; 312: 71-2)
Five Steps of Evidence-Based Medicine
- Convert information needs into answerable questions
- Track down with maximum efficiency the best evidence with which
to answer them
- Critically appraise that evidence for its validity and usefulness
- Apply the results of this appraisal in your practice
- Evaluate your performance
To convert your information needs into a focused
question, see:
To track down the evidence, use the following sites
that offer critically appraised information:
To track down evidence that should be appraised
before using, try:
To help critically appraise an article or guideline,
use the following guides:
To understand study design and levels of
evidence, consult the following sites:
To locate more information about evidence-based
medicine, see:
To use an online textbook for background information,
see:
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