[ review on evidence-based medicine]

ABSTRACT

Physicians' daily need for valid information about diseases, their limited time for finding this information, the inadequacy of traditional sources [E.g. textbooks] to address this matter, the disparity between physicians diagnostic skills and clinical judgment [Which increase with experience] and their up to date knowledge and clinical performance [Which decline by time], as well as dramatic development in the field of information technology that provides easy access to an uncountable number of data resources, all have resulted in the consideration of evidence-based medicine [EBM] as an appropriate approach to solve these problems. EBM is defined as [The conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making clinical decisions about the care of individual patients]. The full-blown practice of EBM comprises five steps: Step 1] Asking a well-built clinical question; step 2] Tracking down the best evidence which answer that question; step 3] Critically appraising that evidence for its validity, importance, and applicability; step 4] Integrating the critical appraisal with the clinical expertise and with the patients unique values and circumstances; and step 5] Evaluating our effectiveness and efficiency in executing steps 1-4 and seeking ways to improve them for next time