Evidence-based medicine: applications in dietetic practice

Evidence-based medicine has been defined as "the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients." Evidence-based practice requires the ability to apply knowledge of medical informatics (eg, efficiently searching the medical literature) and clinical epidemiology (eg, being able to critically appraise the literature) to the treatment of individual patients. Being able to apply the principles of evidence-based medicine in the dietetic practice adds to the credibility and value of dietetics professionals, is consistent with the dietetic code of ethics, and is empowering. This article provides an introduction to the history, philosophy, and methods of evidence-based medicine as applied to the dietetic practice. This article focuses on a 5-step process to finding the best evidence to answer clinical questions: (a) formulate the question, (b) search for answers, (c) appraise the evidence, (d) apply the results, and (e) assess the outcome. We describe the 4S methodology-a systematic approach to efficiently finding the best evidence to answer clinical questions involving the use of systems (comprehensive, evidence-based resources), synopses (compilations of structured abstracts of high-quality studies), syntheses (systematic reviews), and studies (original research articles). Particular emphasis is given to a method for critically appraising papers that emphasizes validity, importance, and clinical applicability. Resources (including Web sites) for further learning are provided. J Am Diet Assoc. 2002;102:1263-1272.