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Searching for scientific information: Medical Sciences: 1. Evidence-based practice

Evidence-based practice

Why do we need to plan how we search for information? We need to have a plan due to the amount of research that's published globally everyday. The sheer amount of research available means that we need to think carefully about the information we need before assessing the quality of what we find. This forms part of evidence-based practice. It's important that students and professionals develop skills in effective literature searching and evaluation, to help them identify the right evidence, at the right time. 

What is evidence-based practice? Evidence-based practice (EBP) is key to clinical decision making. EBP combines research evidence with the expertise of the healthcare professional, taking into consideration the specific preferences of the individual patient. 

Why is evidence-based practice important? Evidence based practice ensures that decisions are informed by the best available evidence. This leads to better decision making and outcomes.

Key steps in evidence-based practice

1. Formulate an answerable question
2. Efficiently identify the best evidence with which to answer the question
3. Critically appraise the evidence for validity and clinical usefulness
4. Apply the results in clinical practice
5. Evaluate the performance of the evidence in practice

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