Evidence Based Practice- Juniper Publishers
JUNIPER PUBLISHERS-OPEN ACCESS JOURNAL OF DENTISTRY & ORAL HEALTH
Evidence based practice is a new term which recently
echoes in the field of health sciences. As quoted “EBP is the
integration of clinical expertise, patient values, and the best research
evidence into the decision making process for patient care. Clinical
expertise refers to the clinician’s cumulated experience, education and
clinical skills. The patient brings to the encounter his or her own
personal preferences and unique concerns, expectations, and values. The
best research evidence is usually found in clinically relevant research
that has been conducted using sound methodology [1]
With the technological revolution, millions of
results are at our fingertip through the internet. Whenever we need
information or supporting evidence, majority of the health practitioners
rely on internet sources. While the results are abundant in number, it
is a practitioner’s discretion to analyse which ones are reliable and
which are not. But as it is very subjective, it is advised that o have
guidelines for assessing the results. Systematic reviews and met
analyses help the practitioner to overcome this difficulty and to follow
evidence based practice.
When the practitioner seeks information on any
particular health care related condition, there are quite a few
questions that arises: whom to ask, where to look for answers, how
reliable are the sources, am I doing the right practice and the like.
The sources of information can be text books, internet resources,
experts in the field, other published literature like case reports and
review articles.
But still the question stands that how reliable are
they which apparently point to the quality of evidence. Here comes the
relevance of clinical research. Clinical trials are time-tested reliable
source of evidence to support or reject drugs or treatment methods.
There are multiple trials conducted worldwide over a period of time. So,
arriving at a conclusion based on multiple trials often end up in
“not-conclusive” status. Emergence of systematic reviews attempts to
tackle this problem. Systematic reviews and meta analyses are placed at
the apex of the pyramid of clinical evidence, followed by Randomised
controlled trials, cohort studies, case control studies, case series,
case reports, editorials, animal research and in vitro researches at the
base.
There are various organisations which promotes and
conducts systematic reviews on clinical trials. Cochrane and DARE
(Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects) are two examples to list
among them. They aim to collect and extract the data from all the
available data in addressing an issue and evaluate them according to the
quality of evidence. As they are systematically done under specific
guidelines, apparently they can be considered as the most reliable
source of information. During the process of systematic review, many of
he conducted researches will be excluded due to poor methodology.
Eventually, the number of the sources will come down to a level which
often force the authors to conclude the review stating that further
research is advised due to low quality of evidence.
For these reasons, it is important to emphasise on
the need of keeping up the quality of the research to follow evidence
based practice in health science to deliver the best treatment for the
patient.
Advances in Dentistry & Oral Health being an
upcoming journal in the field of dentistry, our authors are encouraged
to consider the importance of maintaining the quality of research and
evidence based practice. Clearly, our journal desires dissemination of
quality evidence to ensure and better life for the patients.
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