Evidence-based practice and emergency medicine: A mismatch?

Abstract

Evidence-based practice, also known as evidence-based medicine, has been suggested as a more suitable basis for decision making in clinical practice than the traditional 'expert' based approach. Central to evidence-based practice is the application of evidence (as found in the published literature) to an individual clinical problem. Evidence-based practice, however, has limitations that may raise questions regarding its applicability to particular types of clinical situations, including many of the problems encountered in emergency medicine.