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Evidence Based Medicine is Usually defined as: "The conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients. This practice means integrating individual clinical experience with the best available external clinical evidence from systematic research". (Sackett et al., BMJ, 1996, 312, pp.72-3) Rather than reinventing the wheel, we refer
readers to several online documents which provide great insight into
the meaning and purpose of EBM
As clinicians working in very busy ambulatory and Emergency settings, we must take a liberal approach to EBM. It is clearly impracticle to find, read, and review, RCT's and meta-analysis during the course of clinical care. The definition phrase "best AVAILABLE evidence" really needs to be stressed. All forms of evidence must be utilized (and scrutinized). Real time access to good evidence, particularly critically appraised materials is the rate limiting step for practicing EBM in fast paced clinical settings. Getting practitioners to buy into the concept and to understand the principals is another story. The alternative to EBM (not using the best available evidence) is unacceptable. Nevertheless, we are great enthusiasts of EBM.
It is difficult to deny the need for providing clinicians with good, usable,
information and giving them the tools to apply it to patients (EBM in a
nutshell). In the near future it is very likely that web based hand
held devices will make access to critically assessed medical literature
available at the bedside. This will make EBM eminently more feasible.
It will also provide more challenges for sorting out usable evidence from
the hype. As a guideline, we suggest you look for the following
characteristics when reading a document which includes "Evidence Based"
in it's description.
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