Evidence-based medicine (EBM) or evidence based practice (EBP),  is the judicious use of the best current evidence in making decisions about the care of the individual patient. EBP also integrates clinical expertise and takes patient desires, values, and needs into consideration.

Dr. David Sackett and his colleagues at McMasters University in Ontario, Canada, initially proposed EBM.

EBP differs slightly from EBM, in that EBP is an umbrella term of sorts. EBP encompasses evidence-based medicine, evidence-based nursing, evidence-based physical therapy, evidence-based dentistry, etc.

Sackett DL, Straus SE, Richardson WS, et. al.  Evidence-Based Medicine: How to Practice and Teach EBM.  Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, 2000.

Evidence-based practice consists of five steps:

1. Ask a searchable clinical question;
2. Find the best evidence to answer the question;
3. Appraise the evidence;
4. Apply the evidence with clinical expertise, taking the patient's wants/needs into consideration;
5. Evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the process.

Source: Strauss, S. E.  Evidence-Based Medicine: How to Practice and Teach EBM. New York: Churchill Livingstone, 2005.

EBP, Step by Step:  Article series from The American Journal of Nursing

Written from 2009 - 2011, AJN’s Series is developed to give nurses the knowledge and skills they need to implement EBP consistently, one step at a time. The case scenario used throughout is Rapid Response Teams.

Consult these resources to understand the language of evidence-based practice and terms used in clinical research.

This LibGuide was originally developed by Loree Hyde, Nursing Liaison at the Oregon Health & Science University Library and has been adapted for use at WSU with her permission.