This document provides a quick introduction to evidence-based health care. It defines evidence-based health care as using the best available external clinical evidence from research to make decisions about patient care along with a practitioner's expertise and patient values. Evidence-based health care is important because it leads to the best patient care outcomes when integrating these three factors. The PICO metric is introduced as a way to structure a research question around the patient population, intervention, comparison, and outcome. An example PICO question is also given to illustrate how to apply this framework.

1. Quick Intro to Health Info Stewart Brower Toni Hoberecht

2. Evidence based health care “ the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of the individual patient. It means integrating individual clinical expertise with the best available external clinical evidence from systematic research.” David Sackett, M.D.

3. Clinical Expertise Patient’s Values Research Evidence

4. Why Care About EBHC? EBHC is essentially about patients Clinical practice is undergoing revolutionary change, with evidence and decision skills assuming a central role for all practitioners The best use of the best evidence yields the best care Gross, Decisions and Evidence in Medical Practice 2001 p. V

5. PICO Metric P (patient/disease, population) I (intervention) C (comparative intervention) O (outcome) Usually preceded by a short scenario Ideal for creating a research question

6. Sample PICO Question P adults with acute back pain or sciatica I activity C bedrest O pain reduction/return to regular routine For adults with acute back pain or sciatica, is there any evidence that staying active as opposed to bedrest is more beneficial?

7. Let’s try this together… Each team will get copies of the article, the abstract, and a series of questions to answer Apply what you know – Is your article “included”? Five minutes to discuss, then each team leader will give a brief report