Moving Toward Evidence-Based Practice

"Evidence-based practice" involves applying the best available evidence to the care of individuals. Explicit, systematic methods have developed for determining what is the best available evidence. However, often even the highest-level evidence is not thoroughly or effectively used in practice, even if it is widely known. We must rigorously and critically analyze study results to understand their strengths, limitations, and generalizability, and bear in mind that our knowledge will evolve and thereby change our practice. The clinical question is not always how to apply the evidence but whether the available evidence applies to a particular patient. We should always ask whether the right provider is doing the right thing for the right patient at the right time in the right setting with the right resources.