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  1. Dartmouth Libraries
  2. Research Guides
  3. Dartmouth Libraries Guides
  4. Evidence Based Practice
  5. Evidence Based Medicine

Evidence Based Practice

  • Evidence Based Medicine
    • What is evidence based medicine?
    • EBM Explained
    • How is evidence based medicine practiced?
    • Recommended Reading
  • Asking the Clinical Question
  • Finding the Best Evidence
  • Critical Appraisal
  • Applying the Evidence
  • Additional EBM Teaching Materials

What is evidence based medicine?

“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.)

Diagram of EBM as a combination of clinical judgment, relevant scientfic evidence, and patient values

EBM Explained

How is evidence based medicine practiced?

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

Recommended Reading

  • JAMAevidence
    • On Campus or VPN
    JAMAevidence helps decision makers identify the best available evidence by providing guides to the systematic consideration of the validity, importance, and applicability of claims about the assessment of health problems and the outcomes of health care.
  • Evaluating the Evidence: Is There a Rigid Hierarchy?
    P. Michael Ho, Pamela N. Peterson and Frederick A. Masoudi. Circulation. 2008 Oct 14;118(16):1675-84
  • Evidence Based Medicine: How to Practice and Teach EBM
    Straus, Sharon E., Pattani, Reena, Veroniki, Areti Angeliki, 2019
    Also available in print at Matthews-Fuller Health Sciences Library.
  • Evidence based medicine: what it is and what it isn't
    Sackett DL, Rosenberg WM, Gray JA, Haynes RB, Richardson WS. BMJ. 1996 Jan 13;312(7023):71-2. PubMed PMID: 8555924.
  • How to Read a Paper: the Basics of Evidence-Based Medicine and Healthcare
    Greenhalgh, Trisha. 6th edition, 2019.
  • Next: Asking the Clinical Question >>
  • Last Updated: Feb 27, 2025 2:18 PM
  • URL: https://researchguides.dartmouth.edu/evidence-basedmedicine
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Subjects: Health Sciences
Tags: EBM, EBP, evidence-based medicine

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