• The clinical problem needs to be turned into an answerable question
• Questions should be direct, clear, and answerable by research. 
• PICO points used:

P - patient/problem

I - intervention

C - comparison

O - outcomes

Relevant and appropriate research must be conducted. Primary research or textbooks can be outdated or inaccurate. 

Basic search principles should be used. 

• use relevant key-words
• choose a good bibliographic database
• conduct the search

Evaluate the research's quality and whether it applies to the question asked or not. 

• validity
• importance
• applicability

If these are not taken into account, harm could be caused and limited resources could be wasted. 

Now is when everything other than the actual clinical research is taken into account.

Things such as: 

• Patient background and beliefs
• Circumstances and context
• Available resources, own expertise, and budget

should all be considered before deciding on a course of action. 

EBM is an ongoing process and the approach chosen in a specific instance needs to be constantly evaluated and updated. This way, new and improved methods, and research can be developed along with the ever-changing medical world.