Analytical Methods for Evidence-Based Clinical Practice

Components of Evidence-Based Practice

Evidence is a set of facts which is proved and believed to be true (Bernadette and Ellen p. 4). Evidence-based practice relates to the application of evidence in making patient-care decisions. There are three primary components of evidence-based practice. The first component is the clinical evidence derived from external sources. This evidence can be obtained from systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials, qualitative studies, and evidence based theories related to healthcare. The second component is clinical expertise which incorporates factors such as; clinical reasoning, the use of internal health resources and internal evidence from quality enhancement projects, and the application of clinical judgment (Bernadette and Ellen p. 5). The third component is patient values and preferences. Therefore, evidence-based practice in healthcare is achieved by integrating the three elements in making clinical decisions.

Types of Evidence Resources that Assist with Answers to Clinical Questions

There are various types of evidence resources that are used to find answers to clinical questions by physicians. The resources range from internal sources to external sources. Some of the evidence resources include journals, books, patient information, and practice-based data (Del Fiol, Guilherme et al. p. 716). Patient information and practice-based data represent the internal sources of answers to clinical questions. Patient information is critical in identifying the issues that need to be addressed to make clinical decisions. Based on practice-based data, physicians can apply their expertise and past practices to determine the best intervention for a given clinical issue. Journals and books are some of the external evidence sources. These sources can provide pre-appraised literature such as synopses, summaries, meta-analytic systematic reviews, and primary studies (Bernadette and Ellen p. 42). The pre-appraised literature saves the physicians the time required to investigate the credibility of a study. They also provide empirical evidence that is used in answering the current clinical questions.

Works Cited

Bernadette, M. M., and F. O. Ellen. “Evidence-based practice in nursing and healthcare.” 2nd China: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (2011) p. 1-599.

Del Fiol, Guilherme et al. “Clinical Questions Raised By Clinicians At The Point Of Care.” JAMA Internal Medicine, vol. 174, no. 5, 2014, p. 710-718. American Medical Association (AMA), DOI:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.368.