Evidence Based Practice

“Evidence based medicine is the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients.” (Sackett DL, Rosenberg WM, Gray JA, Haynes RB, Richardson WS. Evidence based medicine: what it is and what it isn't. BMJ. 1996;312(7023):71-2.)

The practice of EBM requires utilization of the five A's:

ASK: Develop a focused, pertinent clinical question

ACQUIRE: Use information technology to access accurate and reliable medical information

APPRAISE: Evaluate the evidence using the appropriate criteria

APPLY: Apply findings to the question asked/to the patient's care

ACT: Communicate findings to the patient and/or team, reflecting on process and outcomes