This book is intended to help decision-makers use, assess and appraise the evidence that underpins decisions about the use of therapeutic interventions. It will inform decision-makers about the nature of evidence, the strengths and weaknesses of the available approaches, and how these can be most effectively distilled for the purpose of reaching reliable conclusions. It aims to encourage decision-makers to base their judgements about the use of therapeutic interventions on an informed appraisal of the totality of the evidence base. Is it reliable? Is it generalisable beyond the context of the environment in which the primary research has been conducted? Do the intervention's benefits outweigh its harms? Is it cost effective as well as clinically effective? Is it, indeed, fit-for-purpose? Ultimately, good judgement is at the heart of decision-making in therapeutics. An invaluable text for all physicians, pharmacists, nurses, health commissioners and purchasers and indeed anyone having to make decisions concerning evidence-based therapeutics.

Now in its fourth edition, Rational Diagnosis and Treatment: Evidence-Based Clinical Decision-Making is a unique book to look at evidence-based medicine and the difficulty of applying evidence from group studies to individual patients. The book analyses the successive stages of the decision process and deals with topics such as the examination of the patient, the reliability of clinical data, the logic of diagnosis, the fallacies of uncontrolled therapeutic experience and the need for randomised clinical trials and meta-analyses. It is the main theme of the book that, whenever possible, clinical decisions must be based on the evidence from clinical research, but the authors also explain the pitfalls of such research and the problems involved in applying evidence from groups of patients to the individual patient. For this new edition, the sections on placebo and meta-analysis and on alternative medicine have been thoroughly updated, and there is more focus on insufficient reporting of harms of interventions. The sections on different research designs describe advantages and limitations, and the increased medicalisation and the effects of cancer screening on health people are noted. A section on academic freedom when clinicians collaborate with industry and ghost authors is added. This essential reference work integrates the science and statistical approach of evidence-based medicine with the art and humanism of medical practice; distinguishing between data, sets of data, knowledge and wisdom, and their application. Such an intellectually challenging book is ideal for both medical students and doctors who require theoretical and practical clinical skills to help ensure that they apply theory in practice.

A guide for everyone involved in medical decision making to plot a clear course through complex and conflicting benefits and risks.

Take the Practical Approach to Applying EBM Principles Pharmacists who make clinical decisions based on experience alone overestimate the efficacy and underestimate the safety risks of drugs. This leads to variations in services and treatment that result in inappropriate care, lack of care, and increased healthcare costs. Evidence-based medicine (EBM) employs the scientific method as the key source of knowledge for making clinical decisions. This easy-to-use new guide provides a practical approach for confidently applying EBM principles in daily practice. It's a straightforward process that allows pharmacists to incorporate their own clinical judgment while they make firm decisions and recommendations based on results of rigorously conducted clinical trials. Based on a five-step process perfected over 10 years at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, School of Pharmacy, this exciting new method makes it easy to apply the EBM approach in clinical settings. The new process streamlines the highly technical and complex original EBM method, greatly reducing its complexity while maintaining rigor. Categorizing quality of the evidence in a simple and logical manner, it provides critical, time-sensitive support for clinical decision-making.

This book is intended to help decision-makers use, assess and appraise the evidence that underpins decisions about the use of therapeutic interventions. It will inform decision-makers about the nature of evidence, the strengths and weaknesses of the available approaches, and how these can be most effectively distilled for the purpose of reaching re

This book is intended to help decision-makers use, assess and appraise the evidence that underpins decisions about the use of therapeutic interventions. It will inform decision-makers about the nature of evidence, the strengths and weaknesses of the available approaches, and how these can be most effectively distilled for the purpose of reaching reliable conclusions. It aims to encourage decision-makers to base their judgements about the use of therapeutic interventions on an informed appraisal of the totality of the evidence base. Is it reliable? Is it generalisable beyond the context of the environment in which the primary research has been conducted? Do the intervention's benefits outweigh its harms? Is it cost effective as well as clinically effective? Is it, indeed, fit-for-purpose? Ultimately, good judgement is at the heart of decision-making in therapeutics An invaluable text for all physicians, pharmacists, nurses, health commissioners and purchasers and indeed anyone having to make decisions concerning evidence-based therapeutics.

Part I. Admitting Orders -- Philosophy -- Components -- Part II. Pre- and Post-Procedure Orders -- Safe and Effective Handoffs -- Effective Discharge Planning -- Cardiovascular Disease -- ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction -- Unstable Angina (UA) and Non-ST Elevation Myocardial -- Infarction (NSTEMI) -- Atrial Fibrillation -- Congestive Heart Failure -- Syncope -- Hypertensive Emergency -- Aortic Dissection -- Endocrine Disease -- Adult Diabetic Ketoacidosis -- Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic State -- Gastrointestinal Disease -- Upper Gastrointestinal Bleed -- Lower GI Bleed -- Complications of Cirrhosis -- Diverticulitis -- Acute Pancreatitis -- Acute Hepatitis and Acute Liver Failure -- Small Bowel Obstruction -- Inflammatory Bowel Disease -- Cholecystitis -- Cholangitis -- Gastroparesis -- Geriatrics -- Delirium -- Falls -- Hip Fracture -- Hematology and Oncology -- Cancer, Admit for Chemotherapy -- Febrile Neutropenia -- Infectious Diseases -- Bacterial Endocarditis -- Cellulitis -- Fever in Injection Drug Use -- Meningitis -- Osteomyelitis -- Diabetic Foot Infection -- Pyelonephritis -- Acute Arthritis -- Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock -- Pulmonary Tuberculosis -- Central Line Infection -- Fever of Unknown Origin -- Neurologic Diseases -- Seizure -- Acute Ischemic Stroke -- Alcohol Withdrawal -- Renal and Electrolyte -- Acute Renal Failure -- Hyperkalemia -- Hyponatremia -- Nephrolithiasis -- Prevention of Contrast Nephropathy -- Pulmonary Disease -- Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism -- Community-Acquired Pneumonia in -- Immunocompetent Adults -- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Exacerbation -- Asthma Exacerbation -- Common Orders in Hospitalized Patients -- Diabetes Management -- Acute Pain Management -- Comfort Care -- Transfusion -- Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis.