EBM Flashcards

1
Q

What is the aim of EBM

A

apply the best available evidence gained from the scientific method to clinical decision making, or
integration of the best research evidence with our clinical expertise and our patient’s unique values and circumstances

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2
Q

What are the four things that are integrated in EBM

A

Best research evidence
Clinical expertise
Patient values
Patient circumstances

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3
Q

What was the coldfx controversy

A

Was an over the counter cold remedy that purposefully misled consumers into believing it worked even though it was shown to be inneffective

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4
Q

Traces of EBm origin can be found where

A

ancient Greece

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5
Q

Who is Avicenna? What did they create

A

Avicenna (c. 980 - 1037), also known as Ibn Sina, was a Persian philosopher and physician.
He was the first to recognize the concept of infectious diseases and introduced quarantine
to control their spread. He introduced clinical pharmacology and experimental medicine

Created the Canon of Medicine, which was used for centuries afterwards

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6
Q

Who is Dr. Archie Cochran? What was his book?

A

Through his book “Effectiveness and Efficiency: Random Reflections on
Health Services” (1972) and subsequent advocacy, caused increasing awareness and
acceptance of the concepts behind evidence-based practice

First to used EBM

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7
Q

The methodologies used to determine “best evidence” were largely established by
the McMaster University research group led by

A

David Sackett and Gordon Guyatt

Guyatt coined the term “evidence based”

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8
Q

5 reasons why EMB is gaining popularity

A

1- Need for valid and quantitative information in variety of medical practice aspects
* 2- The shortcomings and inadequacy of traditional references such as text books, medical journals
* 3- The gap and disparity between our diagnostic skills and clinical judgment.
* 4- We are too busy and not having enough time per patient for finding and adopting this evidence
* 5-The gap between evidence and practice (Knowledge-to-practice gap) lead to variations in practice and quality of care

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9
Q

How do we practice EBM

A

Step 1- Formulate a question (converting the need for information into an answerable question).
* Step 2- Search for answer (tracking down the best evidence with which to answer the question).
* Step 3- Critically appraise (critically appraising that evidence for its validity (closeness to the truth), impact (size of the effect), and applicability (usefulness in our clinical practice).
* Step 4- Adopt and integrate (integrating the critical appraisal with our clinical expertise and with our patient’s unique biology, values and circumstances).
* Step 5- Evaluate the end results and yourself (evaluating your effectiveness and efficiency in executing steps 1-4 and seeking ways to improve them).

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10
Q

Which steps are “using mode”, “doing mode”, and “replicating mode”

A
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11
Q

What are background questions? What are the two essential components?

A
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12
Q

What are foreground questions? What are the four essential components?

A
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13
Q

As you gain experience how are background and foreground questions balanced

A

As you gain experience, foreground questions increase

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14
Q

Cognitive resonance

A

The knowledge we already have about our patient predicament leads to mental reinforcing and emotional responses

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15
Q

Cognitive Dissonance

A

Our patient’s condition brings us to a point that we confront
what we do not know and we need to know (knowledge gap
awareness). Powerful motivators of learning. Turning the “
negative space” of knowledge gap to the “ positive space” of
well-structured clinical Q

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16
Q

We do not know what we don’t know leads to an _______ _________

A

undisturbed ignorance

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17
Q

Central issues in clinical work, where clinical questions often arise (10 things)

A
18
Q

How can EBM be practiced in real time

A

Capturing or saving: using shorthand

Scheduling: by when we need to have our Qs answered

Selecting: which one or few of the many Qs should be pursued

19
Q

How many questions do you usually need

A

one or two

20
Q

7 ways well-formulated questions can help

A
  1. They help us focus our scarce learning time on evidence that is directly relevant to our patients’ clinical needs.
  2. They help us focus our scarce learning time on evidence that directly addresses our particular knowledge needs.
  3. They can suggest high-yield search strategies.
  4. They suggest the forms that useful answers might take.
  5. they can help us to communicate more clearly with our colleagues.
  6. When teaching, they can help our learners to better understand the content of what we teach
  7. When our questions get answered, our knowledge grows, our curiosity is reinforced, our cognitive resonance is restored, and we can become better, faster, and happier clinicians
21
Q

What is an educational prescription

A

Specifies the clinical problem that generated the questions

States the question in all its key elements

It specifies who is responsible for answering it.

It reminds everyone of the deadline for answering it

reminds everyone of the steps of searching, critically appraising, and relating the answer back to the patient

22
Q

How to find
current best evidence and have current best
evidence find us

A

Should sort evidence into pre-appraised and non-pre-appraised

23
Q

2 step screening test for whether a text is likely to be evidence based and up-to-date. Should it be used if it fails these screens

A

1-A text that provides recommendations for patient care must have “in line” references to evidence that supports each of its key recommendations about the diagnosis, treatment, or prognosis of patients.
2-If the text does indicate exact references for its
recommendations, check the date of publication of the references; if the most recent is more than 2–3 years old, you will need to check whether more recent studies require a change in recommendation. Texts that fail these two screens should be used for background reading only, no matter how eminent their authors

No

24
Q

What is the 6S hierarchy of organization of pre-appraised evidence

A
25
Q

What is systems

A

Computerized decision support
The ideal one

A perfect evidence-based clinical information system would integrate and concisely summarize all relevant and important research evidence about a clinical problem and would automatically link, through an electronic medical record, a specific patient’s circumstances to the relevant information.

It is published and then reliably and promptly updated whenever important new, high-quality, confirmatory or discordant research evidence becomes available

26
Q

What is Summaries

A

Evidence based textbooks

Excellent, less-developed, readily available

It is limited to coverage of therapy topics

High scientific standards
* Posts newly published evidence in an update table for each topic.
* Retrieves not only its own content but pre-appraised references for other topics as well

27
Q

What is synopses of syntheses?

A

Evidence-based journal abstracts

carefully edited, typically one-page, structured
descriptions of pre-appraised articles that report sound research
with clinically relevant and
newsworthy findings
The perfect synopsis would provide only, and
exactly, enough
information to support a
clinical action.

28
Q

Syntheses

A

Systematic reviews

If more detail is needed or no synopsis is at hand, then databases of systematic reviews (syntheses) are available

Based on exhaustive searches for evidence, explicit scientific reviews of the studies uncovered in the search, and systematic assembly of the evidence

29
Q

Synopses of studies

A

Evidence-based journal abstract

Reports of individual studies

If the higher “S” levels fails, then synopses of studies will be checked

30
Q

Studies

A

Original journal articles

If every other “S” fails, the original articles or studied should be checked

31
Q

Example of Summaries, synopses of syntheses, syntheses, synopses of studies, studies

A

Summaries: CE, Dynamed
synopses of syntheses: ACP medicine
Syntheses: Cochrane collaboration
Synopses of studies: ACPJN, EBN
Studies: ACPJC+

32
Q

Quality of databases such as PubMed and EMBASE

A

Typically lower quality but more productive

33
Q

When to use search engines

A

If you do not know which database to loo for your question

You must do your own appraisal

34
Q

How to access evidence-based information services in countries with high resources, low resources, if you are on your own with no resources

A

countries with high resources: Clinical evidence
Countries with low resources: HINARI offers journals at no cost or low cost
If you are on your own with no resources: free access to high-quality evidence-based information, pre-appraised evidence

35
Q

What do you search for to solve patient problems

A

Key question

Best answer to the clinical problem

Evidence resources

36
Q

Three levels of studies in descending order of clinical usefulness:
Retrivied via clinical queries from medline
Pre-appraised for quality and relevance
Retrieved via PubMed

A

(1) pre-appraised for quality
and relevance (e.g., via ACPJC+ and
EvidenceUpdates); (2) retrieved via clinical queries
from MEDLINE; and (3) retrieved via PubMed using
just our search terms, “type 2 diabetes and
cardiovascular risk”.

37
Q

Does evidence make decisions

A

No
Have to balance other circumstances and her wishes, carefully negotiate priorities with the patient to best match between the evidence and her wishes

38
Q

Common features for appraisal of most studies (2 features and 3 points for each)

A

A- Race analogy: Was there a fair start, was the race fair, was it a fair finish
B- The PICO format when we consider validity: What is the population, What was the intervention, were the outcomes measured in an objective fashion

39
Q

Common validity concerns for systematic reviews

A

Was the literature search comprehensive
Was the quality of the individual studies assessed

40
Q

How to appraise evidence

A

After examining the validity of the studies we consider whether its results are important, this disuccsion will include precision and magnitude

For systematic reviews: consider heterogeneity