Lecture 1 - The Scientific Basis of Medicine

Question 1

What is epidemiology?

Answer 1

The study of the patterns, causes, and effects of health and disease conditions in defined populations.

*Basis for population and public health

Question 2

Define EBM

Answer 2

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

Question 3

What are the three steps to EBP/EBM?

Answer 3

1) Acquire
2) Appraise
3) Apply

*if ask for 4 steps: Ask, Acquire, Appraise, Apply

Question 4

What is involved in the Acquire step?

Answer 4

• Ask a focus question
• Conduct the search
• Retrieve the information

Question 5

What is involved in the Appraise step?

Answer 5

• Appraise directness
• Appraise validity
• Appraise results

Usefulness = (Relevance x Validity) / Work

Question 6

What is involved in the Apply step?

Answer 6

• Asses applicability

- Individualize results

Question 7

What are the benefits of EBP?

Answer 7

• More democratic - empowers patients and ‘juniors’ to have input (lower value is placed on authority)
• Toolkit of skills to facilitate ‘up-to-date’ knowledge
• Can test effectiveness of intervention without fully understanding patho-physiology
• Influenced improved conduct and reporting of clinical trials