[Concept of evidence-based medicine: a new challenge to epidemiology and preventive medicine]

In the last decade evidence-based medicine (EBM) has become popular between clinicians and epidemiologists as a tool to facilitate the translation of scientific research into clinical practice. The concept applicable to public health follows the same principles, but some additional aspects have to be considered. For example, in preventive medicine, there is the strong need to compare the relative effectiveness of various interventions in prolonging survival or preventing the occurrence or complications of a disease both at the population and at the individual level, since it is crucial for setting preventive priorities and health policy making. Traditionally, systematic reviews and meta-analyses quantify the effects of treatments on selected endpoints (health outcomes). However, in setting preventive priorities the reverse perspective is important. Moreover, the judgement about preventive action cannot be done without an adequate consideration of ethical and social context. In view of emerging evidence-based approach in preventive medicine the teaching of evidence-based medicine to health professionals became a new challenge.