What is EBD?

Definitions and references

Evidence-based medicine is the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of best evidence in making decisions about care of individual patients (ref 1)
David Sackett

As the area has developed over the ensuing years this has been modified to:

‘Evidence-based medicine is the integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values.’ (ref 2)

The American Dental Association (ADA) (ref 3) has defined Evidence-based dentistry as an approach to oral health care that requires the judicious integration of:

  • systematic assessments of clinically relevant scientific evidence, relating to the patients oral and medical condition and history, together with the
  • dentists clinical expertise and
  • the patients treatment needs and preferences

Delegates at the second international conference of Evidence-based health care teachers in Sicily discussed the need for a clear definition of what constitutes evidence-based practice (EBP), what skills are needed to practice in an Evidence-based manner and a curriculum that outlines the minimum requirements for training health professionals in EBP. They produced the Sicily consensus statement on Evidence-based practice (ref 4).

References

  1. David L Sackett, William M C Rosenberg, J A Muir Gray, R Brian Haynes, and W Scott Richardson. Evidence based medicine: what it is and what it isn’t. BMJ 1996; 312: 71-72
  2. Policy Statement on Evidence-based Dentistry (ADA)
  3. Dawes et al. Sicily statement on Evidence-based practice. BMC Medical Education 2005, 5:1

Other key links

Journal Articles

Series on Evidence-based Dentistry from the Canadian Dental Journal

Evidence-based Health Care Reference