ABSTRACT

The philosophy of using evidence from valid and current studies to assist in the clinical decisionmaking process is now widely acknowledged as desirable for improving the quality of care provided to patients. The underlying principle of this evidence-based approach to healthcare management is having access to reliable and valid evidence that is obtained by either searching the literature for papers that can be critically appraised or designing studies of high methodological rigor. The resulting best available evidence is then used to answer clearly defined and focused questions generated from encounters with patients presenting with their clinical problems. This approach is now guiding management in obstetrics and gynecology, including the subspecialty of infertility dealing with the problem of recurrent miscarriage.