ABSTRACT
This chapter describes a structured approach to evidence-based practice. This approach includes five steps - asking questions, tracking down the evidence, appraising the evidence, applying evidence-based practice and evaluating performance. The chapter provides detailed advice on the assessment of the validity of research studies. It also provides a brief overview of the rationale, methods and issues surrounding evidence-based practice. The conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients. For the individual practitioner, evidence-based practice provides one approach to self-directed learning, where answers can be found for the diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic problems presented by patients. Systematic reviews differ from ordinary reviews in following an explicit method and seeking to be as objective as possible. Medline is probably the electronic database that is most familiar to health professionals. Primary care practitioners see an extremely wide range of clinical problems. The public is becoming better informed about many aspects of healthcare.
