This volume is designed to help educators, practitioners and patients teach evidence-based medicine. Until the middle of the last century, most interventions in clinical practice were based on the experience of generations of physicians. The evolution of epidemiology, and subsequently clinical epidemiology, resulted in methods that allowed the objective critique of all therapies used in clinical practice.

CD-ROM contains 11 bonus chapters and searchable text in PDF.

The accompanying CD-ROM contains clinical examples, critical appraisals and background papers.

Offers guidance on the principles of family medicine, primary care in the community, and various aspects of clinical practice. Suitable for both residents and practicing physicians, this title includes evidence-based, practical information to optimize your patient care and prepare you for the ABFM exam.

A research methods text with a unique focus on evidence-based practice with couples and families, this book bridges the divide between research and clinical work. The text offers comprehensive, user-friendly coverage of measurement and design issues and basic qualitative and quantitative methods. Illustrating research concepts with clinically relevant examples and sample studies, it teaches clear steps for evaluating different types of studies and identifying common threats to validity. Of special value to therapists, it provides a systematic framework for using research to guide the selection and evaluation of interventions that meet the needs of particular clients. Pedagogical features: *End-of-chapter "Applications" sections showing how to evaluate specific methods. *Appendices with quick-reference guides and recommended resources. *Instructive glossary. See also the authors' Essential Skills in Family Therapy, Third Edition: From the First Interview to Termination, which addresses all aspects of real-world clinical practice, and Essential Assessment Skills for Couple and Family Therapists, which shows how to weave assessment into all phases of therapy.

The movement to make medicine more scientific has evolved over many decades but the specific term evidence-based medicine was introduced in 1990 to refer to a systematic approach to helping doctors to apply scientific evidence to decision-making at the point of contact with a specific consumer.

Drawing on the work of the Roundtable on Evidence-Based Medicine, the 2007 IOM Annual Meeting assessed some of the rapidly occurring changes in health care related to new diagnostic and treatment tools, emerging genetic insights, the developments in information technology, and healthcare costs, and discussed the need for a stronger focus on evidence to ensure that the promise of scientific discovery and technological innovation is efficiently captured to provide the right care for the right patient at the right time. As new discoveries continue to expand the universe of medical interventions, treatments, and methods of care, the need for a more systematic approach to evidence development and application becomes increasingly critical. Without better information about the effectiveness of different treatment options, the resulting uncertainty can lead to the delivery of services that may be unnecessary, unproven, or even harmful. Improving the evidence-base for medicine holds great potential to increase the quality and efficiency of medical care. The Annual Meeting, held on October 8, 2007, brought together many of the nation's leading authorities on various aspects of the issues - both challenges and opportunities - to present their perspectives and engage in discussion with the IOM membership.