ABCs of EBVM

The ways EBVM can help practitioners include:

• improving confidence in your own clinical decision-making
• dealing with information overload
• developing a structured approach to using reliable evidence-based methods in your practice, for example, practice guidelines 
• demonstrating Quality Improvement in practice, which might include the use of EBVM to carry out a clinical audit.

Clinical examples could arise by considering the following:

• a recent journal article that recommends a different diagnostic method or treatment protocol from that which you currently use
• a particularly challenging or unresolved case
• evaluating a new marketing leaflet you have received from a pharmaceutical company
• a need for new practice protocols or guidelines, or to review existing ones
• questions arising from case discussions within the practice
• an area in which you know you would like to develop your skills
• a disease you and your colleagues approach differently in terms of diagnostics or therapy
• a disease process you treat that you feel has unsatisfactory outcomes
• a case report or publication you are keen to work on
• clinical audit activity.