Evidence Based Practice - Health Care  Tags: evidence-based medicine nursing dentistry physical_therapy psychology  

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Evidence Based Practice means "applying the best available research results (evidence) when making decisions about health care. Health care professionals who perform evidence-based practice use research evidence along with clinical expertise and patient preferences."

AHRQ Effective Health Care Glossary. Retrieved November 5, 2008 from http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/tools.cfm?tooltype=glossaryα=A

The phrase evidence based medicine (EBM) was coined by researchers at McMaster University in 1992. EBM (also referred to as evidence based practice, evidence based health care, etc.) evolved for a number of reasons:

• Clinicians need information on diagnosis, therapy, prognosis, and prevention on a daily basis
• Traditional information sources may be out of date, inaccurate, or overwhelming in volume
• Research that should change practice is often ignored for years.

There is a substantial gap between the best research evidence and clinical practice with potentally serious health consequences for patients. Key reasons for the research-practice gap include lack of time and skills needed for finding and appraising the evidence. Evidence based practice helps bridge that gap by providing strategies that facilitate finding and appraising research, and resources that pre-filter and synthesize research to make the process more efficient.

Evidence based practice includes five steps:

Step 1: Converting the need for information into an answerable question
Step 2: Finding the best evidence with which to answer that question
Step 3: Critically appraising the evidence for its validity, impact, and applicability
Step 4: Integrating the evidence with clinical expertise and the patient's unique biology, values and circumstances
Step 5: Evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of the process

Additional information and resources for steps one through three are available by clicking on the tabs above.

Strauss, S. E. (2005). Evidence-based medicine : How to practice and teach EBM (3rd ed. ed.). Edinburgh ; New York: Elsevier/Churchill Livingstone.