Introduction to evidence-based practice for the health sciences

What is evidence-based practice?

Evidence-based practice (EBP) helps ensure that treatments and care are safe, effective, and backed by scientific studies. EBP has many definitions, and each health discipline has contributed to its development.

Sackett et al. (1996, p. 71) described evidence-based medicine (EBM) as "the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients". Nursing scholars highlighted the importance of incorporating the patient's perspective into evidence-based practice (Muir Gray, 1997). This concept was later broadened to include the consideration of the healthcare delivery context as a key factor in supporting evidence-based decision-making (Hoffmann, Bennett, & Del Mar, 2024).

In addition to benefitting patients, EBP provides a way for healthcare professionals to keep up to date with the latest developments in their clinical areas. 

     (Image from Hoffmann, Bennett, & Del Mar, 2024).

Using evidence-based practice when delivering care will help you to:

• ensure that decisions made about patient care or healthcare policy are based on rigorous research findings,
• reduce variations in clinical practice and deliver quality care,
• apply scientifically validated approaches to patient treatments and care delivery.

Related guides

References

Hoffmann, T., Bennett, S., & Del Mar, C. (2024). Evidence-based practice across the health professions (4th ed.). Elsevier.

Muir Gray, J. A. (1997). Evidence-based healthcare: How to make health policy and management decisions. Churchill Livingstone.

Sackett, D. L., Rosenberg, W. M., Gray, J. A., Haynes, R. B., & Richardson, W. S. (1996). Evidence based medicine: What it is and what it isn’t. BMJ: British Medical Journal, 312(7023), 71–72. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.312.7023.71