The most common definition of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) is from Dr. David Sackett. EBP is “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.” (Sackett D, 1996)
EBP is the integration of clinical expertise, patient values, and the best research evidence into the decision making process for patient care.
The Steps in the EBP Process:
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ASSESS |
1. Start with the patient -- a clinical problem or question arises from the care of the patient |
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ASK |
2. Construct a well built clinical question derived from the case |
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ACQUIRE |
3. Select the appropriate resource(s) and conduct a search |
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APPRAISE |
4. Appraise that evidence for its validity (closeness to the truth) and applicability (usefulness in clinical practice) |
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APPLY: |
5. Return to the patient -- integrate that evidence with clinical expertise, patient preferences and apply it to practice |
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Self-evaluation |
6. Evaluate your performance with this patient |
