What is EBP?
Definitions
The most well used definition of evidence based practice is that it is the
'conscientious, expilcit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients.'
Sackett, et al (1996) BMJ 312: 71-2
A more recent definition is:
'Evidence-Based practice (EBP) requires that decisions about health care are based on the best available, current, valid and relevant evidence. These decisions should be made by those recieving care, informed by the tacit and expilcit knowledge of those providing care, within the context of available resources.
Process of Evidence Based Practice
The five steps of EBP were first described in 1992 and most steps have now been subjected to trials of teaching effectiveness:
- Translation of uncertainty to an answerable question
- Systematic retrieval of best evidence available
- Critical appraisal of evidence for validity, clinical relevance, and applicability
- Application of results in practice
- Evaluation of performance
This five-step model forms the basis for both clinical practice and teaching EBP, for as Rosenberg and Donald observed, "an immediate attraction of evidence-based medicine is that it integrates medical education with clinical practice".