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Evidence Based Practice

INTEGRATE the evidence

Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt (2015, p. 10), Step 4 = "Integrate the best evidence with one's clinical expertise and patient preferences and values in making a practice decision or change".

 

Once you have found the evidence from various sources* to help with your clinical question (assignment or thesis topic), you need to decide if you can apply that evidence, and in what ways

*like the library databases, of course!

And don't forget to cite all the sources you use according to a specific citation style.

Scientific Writing

One of the most brilliant quotes I have ever read can be found in an article by Hotaling. It seems to say it all and is only part of the reason you should read the article.

“I am writing a longer letter than usual because there is not enough time to write a short one.”

by Blaise Pascal, Lettres Provinciales (ca. 1657) French Philosopher & Mathematician. 

 

 Hotaling, S. (2020). Simple rules for concise scientific writing. Limnology and Oceanography Letters, 5(6), 379-383. https://doi.org/10.1002/lol2.10165

 

 

Another useful article if you need help with scientific writing.

 

 Hyatt, J. P. K., Bienenstock, E. J., & Tilan, J. U. (2017). A student guide to proofreading and writing in science. Advances in Physiology Education, 41(3), 324-331. https://doi.org/10.1152/advan.00004.2017

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Applying the Evidence - Optional Reading

The kind of questions you should be asking yourself at this stage deal with:

  • the relationship between the population in the evidence you have found, and the patient
  • the treatment benefits versus the cost or potential harm
  • patient preferences and values

Follow the link below to read a very useful article that provides a, easy-to-read overview of Evidence Based Practice.

Guyatt, G.H., Haynes, R.B., Jaeschke, R.Z., Cook, D.J., Green, L., Naylor, C.D,...Richardson, W.S. (2000). Users' guides to the medical literature XXV. Evidence-based medicine: Principles for applying the users' guides to patient care. JAMA, 284(10), 1290–1296. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.284.10.1290

Click the "Download PDF" option, and login via OpenAthens using your SIT user name and password.