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Incorporating evidence based medicine (EBM) into general practice
Background:
The increased application of evidence based medicine (EBM) to health care practice has been endorsed in national health policy. This paper focuses on what EBM means for GPs.
Objectives:
To present the outcomes of engaging practising GPs in applying EBM principles to a general practice scenario.
Discussion:
Caution about the potential for misuse of EBM has been voiced by GPs based on the biopsychosocial model of general practice and concerns about the limited utility of largely biomedical evidence in general practice. The EBM process begins with converting information needs into questions, but this first step presupposes that the doctor has obtained a good history including eliciting any hidden agenda. It is important to recognise the context in which people's health issues and problems arise, the paucity of evidence that is derived within the biopsychosocial model of general practice, and the difficulties that GPs face in accessing evidence.