What is EBM?
This module discusses the definition of Evidence Based Medicine or EBM, and the steps in practising EBM.
EBM is a skill
Three major skills are needed in order to process evidence efficiently:
1. Acquiring the evidence. In order to acquire the evidence, we need to be able to ask or frame a focused clinical question from the clinical dilemmas we encounter when taking care of patients. Being able to search the literature systematically and efficiently is important in retrieving the most current available evidence to answer our clinical question.
2. Appraising the evidence. Not all information that are available are reliable. Skills in appraising the directness, validity, and results of different types of studies will allow us to select the best and most reliable evidence that answers our clinical question.
3. Apply the evidence. After appraising the evidence, we need to be able to apply the results to our individual patients. To do this, we need to be able to assess if the results of the study that provides an answer to our clinical question is applicable to the patients that we see in our daily practice. We should also be able to individualize the results of the study to the individual patient we have in front of us.