Abstract
Rationale: Evidence-based medicine is being applied to decisions in a range of contexts beyond one-to-one patient care. Yet considerable disagreement persists regarding the defining components of evidence-based decision-making, particularly in institutional and public health contexts. Aims and Objectives: This article reviews the key elements of evidence-based decision-making for clinical medicine, and adapts those key elements and argues for their broad applicability to a variety of decision-making contexts including institutional, public health, and self-care decision-making contexts. Methods: Conceptual Analysis. Results: Evidence based decision-making involves research evidence, "social and institutional circumstances", and "values" of stakeholders. Furthermore, evidence-based decision-making includes "judgment" exercised by experts to appropriately weigh and integrate the various decision-making elements. Conclusion: Asking critical questions about the purposes and context of a specific decision, basic principles of evidence-based reasoning can be appropriately applied beyond the bedside.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 721-725 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice |
Volume | 14 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 2008 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Decision making
- Evidence-based medicine
- Health policy
- Preferences
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Health Policy
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health