Key Issues in Selected Articles on Evidence Based Medicine

EBM (evidence based medicine) is an application of knowledge management, appraising clinical studies critically and considering their applicability in clinical work. To discover current EBM issues, this paper presents an analysis of recent published articles. Issues identified include: Benefits of using EBM; Need for and possible lack of accuracy in available evidence; Difficulty of relating RCT (randomised clinical trial) evidence to clinical practice and to the individual patient; Potential for conflict with the experience of the practitioner; Lack of time and lack of understanding for full use of EBM; Need for improved training in the use of EBM; Need to constantly update and expand the available evidence.