An Introduction To Evidence Based Medicine

Question 1

Define evidence based medicine

Answer 1

Conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients

Question 2

What are the 3 factors that contribute to appropriate treatment for a patient by a good doctor ?

Answer 2

1) clinical experience on the condition
2) external evidence
3) the patients concerns / values

Question 3

Types of study design : what is quantitative studies split into ?

Answer 3

Observational and experimental

Question 4

What are the three main types of observational study designs ?

Answer 4

1) case reports
2) cross-sectional studies
3) correlational studies

Question 5

What are the two types of experimental interventional study designs ?

Answer 5

1) controlled non-randomised trials ( comparing results of two treatments one used in a hospital and one used in a different hospital )
2) controlled , randomised trial : reducing confounding / bias , compare two treatments , compare new treatment against placebo /usual care

Question 6

What are systematic reviews ?

Answer 6

Systematic reviews combine study results together( randomised controlled trials , observational studies and qualitative studies )

Question 7

How does the hierarchy of evidence of effective treatment go ?

Answer 7

BOTTOM - consensus/expert views ( eg junior doctors)

• case study
• case series
• cross sectional studies
• case control studies
• cohort studies
• observational studies
• controlled , non randomised study
• RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL
• SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF RANDOMISED TRIALS ( TOP)