An introduction to evidence-based medicine

Incorporation EBM into one's practice will not only make one a better clinician, it also allows one to provide the best possible quality of medical care to his or her patients. Becoming a medical information master is a task that all can learn [8,9]. In a primary care specialty that, by definition, is broad in scope, and with the seemingly overwhelming amount of medical literature that is produced on a daily basis, this task is essential. One constantly should be o the look out for validated evidence that is relevant to everyday practice, focusing on those POEMs that address issues that are common to primary care practice. Using the tools and steps that are outlined in this article, along with taking the Web-based courses that are mentioned in Box 1, will allow the primary care physician to develop the essential skills that are required in today's practice of medicine.