EBM is the integration of evidence, clinical expertise, and patient values and preferences. Factors influencing clinical expertise include judgement, clinical skills and personal experience. EBM requires life-long self-monitored learning to stay up-to-date with the most r...

Find the Evidence : Source

Look for evidence that will answer your CQ. Clinical databases (e.g. Archimedes) are relatively reliable and timesaving sources, compared to traditional textbooks and oral sources. The Cochrane Database - a collection of system reviews - ...

Find the Evidence : Search

Being able to search these databases is another skill in and of itself. Firstly, extract keywords from your PICO framework e.g. Problem is Thrombosis and Intervention is Aspirin, therefore the search will...

Appraise the Evidence

Not all research evidence is made the same – some is high-quality and thorough, some isn’t. It is thus paramount that research evidence is appraised in terms of validity, importance, and applicability. The CASP (Critical Appraisal Skills Progr...

Formulate Answerable Clinical Questions (CQs)

The key is to translate the clinical problem into an answerable clinical question (CQ) – e.g. “Is treatment A effective in irradicating disease B?”. CQs should be clear, focus directly on the presenting complaint, and b...

According to AK Akobeng, there are five main steps to properly practise EBM. The next few blocks will explore this concept.

EBM aims to improve patient care quality and produce optimal patient outcomes. It is identifying and promoting clinical practices that work, and eliminating those that don't. Additionally, the precision, accuracy and power of the intervention must be critically assessed. This process furthers the...