Logo Medical Science Monitor

Call: +1.631.470.9640
Mon - Fri 10:00 am - 02:00 pm EST

Contact Us

Logo Medical Science Monitor Logo Medical Science Monitor Logo Medical Science Monitor

01 November 2006

Evidence-based medicine: fifteen years later. Golem the good, the bad, and the ugly in need of a review?

Milos Jenicek

Med Sci Monit 2006; 12(11): RA241-251 :: ID: 462718

Abstract

Despite its well-deserved strengths, Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM)'s shell still remains half-full. Its strong points are clouded in persisting philosophical gaps and mostly ideological advancements of its concepts and rules. Further clarification of its logic and critical use of evidence is required. In this non-systematic essay and review, several present and future necessary achievements are outlined: Solid methodological tools were developed under the umbrella of surprisingly less-operational definition(s) of EBM and 'evidence' itself, incomplete classifications of various evidences and limited scope of original critical appraisal of evidence. The integration of the best evidence with clinical expertise, setting and circumstances, as well as patient expectations, values, and preferences and the application of evidence to a specific patient have only been conceptually traced so far and usable rules remain in waiting. The question of whether the practice of EBM produces better results than its alternatives also remains unanswered. Uses of the best evidence as a basis for the fundamental elements of modern argumentation and critical thinking applied to medicine may be one of the promising paths, but this approach still must be more widely applied and evaluated on its own merit. In other words, we do have a point, but it needs to be improved.

Keywords: Decision Making, Clinical Medicine, Decision Support Systems, Clinical, Evidence-Based Medicine - methods, Health Services Needs and Demand, Logic, Philosophy, Medical, Practice Guidelines as Topic, Professional Practice - standards

Add Comment 0 Comments

Editorial

01 March 2024 : Editorial  

Editorial: First Regulatory Approvals for CRISPR-Cas9 Therapeutic Gene Editing for Sickle Cell Disease and Transfusion-Dependent β-Thalassemia

Dinah V. Parums

DOI: 10.12659/MSM.944204

Med Sci Monit 2024; 30:e944204

0:00

In Press

08 Feb 2024 : Database Analysis  

Comparative Accuracy of Intraoral and Extraoral Digital Workflows for Short Span Implant Supported Fixed Pa...

Med Sci Monit In Press; DOI: 10.12659/MSM.943706  

08 Feb 2024 : Clinical Research  

Serum Selenium Concentration as a Potential Diagnostic Marker for Early-Stage Colorectal Cancer: A Comparat...

Med Sci Monit In Press; DOI: 10.12659/MSM.942882  

09 Feb 2024 : Clinical Research  

Factors Influencing the Occurrence of Intraoperative Hypothermia in Patients Undergoing General Anesthesia ...

Med Sci Monit In Press; DOI: 10.12659/MSM.943463  

13 Feb 2024 : Clinical Research  

A Retrospective Study to Compare the Glasgow Coma Score, Pediatric Trauma Score, and Injury Severity Score ...

Med Sci Monit In Press; DOI: 10.12659/MSM.943501  

Most Viewed Current Articles

16 May 2023 : Clinical Research  

Electrophysiological Testing for an Auditory Processing Disorder and Reading Performance in 54 School Stude...

DOI :10.12659/MSM.940387

Med Sci Monit 2023; 29:e940387

0:00

17 Jan 2024 : Review article  

Vaccination Guidelines for Pregnant Women: Addressing COVID-19 and the Omicron Variant

DOI :10.12659/MSM.942799

Med Sci Monit 2024; 30:e942799

0:00

14 Dec 2022 : Clinical Research  

Prevalence and Variability of Allergen-Specific Immunoglobulin E in Patients with Elevated Tryptase Levels

DOI :10.12659/MSM.937990

Med Sci Monit 2022; 28:e937990

0:00

01 Jan 2022 : Editorial  

Editorial: Current Status of Oral Antiviral Drug Treatments for SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Non-Hospitalized Pa...

DOI :10.12659/MSM.935952

Med Sci Monit 2022; 28:e935952

0:00

Your Privacy

We use cookies to ensure the functionality of our website, to personalize content and advertising, to provide social media features, and to analyze our traffic. If you allow us to do so, we also inform our social media, advertising and analysis partners about your use of our website, You can decise for yourself which categories you you want to deny or allow. Please note that based on your settings not all functionalities of the site are available. View our privacy policy.

Medical Science Monitor eISSN: 1643-3750
Medical Science Monitor eISSN: 1643-3750