What is EBM?
Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is the integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values.
When these three elements are integrated, clinicians and patients form a diagnostic and therapeutic alliance which optimizes clinical outcomes and quality of life.
From: The Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM)
Asking a clinical question involves creating a PICO or PICOTT question
P patient, population and/or problem
I intervention, prognostic factor, exposure
C comparison, or comparative intervention (if appropriate)- this could also be the absence of intervention or exposure
O outcome you would like to measure or achieve
T type of question you are asking
T type of study you would want to find
|
Type of Question |
Study Design for Question* |
Example |
|
Therapy |
RCT (randomized controlled trial) |
Is this intervention more effective than another? |
|
Diagnostic test |
Independent, prospective blind comparison to a gold standard |
How accurate is this diagnostic test? |
|
Prognosis |
Cohort study à case-control à case series |
What is the likely outcome, progression, or survival time for this condition? |
|
Harm/Etiology |
**RCT à cohort study à case-control à case series |
What are the possible causes of this condition or state of affairs? |
|
Prevention |
RCT à cohort study à case-control |
How to reduce the risk of this disease? |
Adapted with permission from https://libguides.ohsu.edu/ebptoolkit/whatisebp, https://guides.library.stonybrook.edu/evidence-based-medicine/home.