Evidence-based clinical practice is an approach to healthcare in which decisions about the care of individual patients are made by integrating the best available research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values and preferences. It emerged to ensure that diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive choices are…
Evidence-based clinical practice is an approach to healthcare in which decisions about the care of individual patients are made by integrating the best available research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values and preferences. It emerged to ensure that diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive choices are grounded in rigorously appraised data rather than tradition or unsystematic experience alone. The process typically involves formulating a focused clinical question, systematically searching the literature, critically appraising studies for validity and relevance, applying the findings to the specific patient context, and evaluating the outcome. A hierarchy of evidence guides appraisal, with systematic reviews and well-conducted trials generally carrying greater weight than observational or anecdotal sources, while attention to study quality, bias, and applicability remains essential. Synthesised evidence, including systematic reviews of interventions such as dietary and behavioural therapies, informs guidelines, models of person-centred care, and the implementation of innovations into routine services. Effective practice also depends on translating evidence into action through education, decision support, and quality-improvement strategies, and on adapting recommendations to local resources and individual circumstances. By aligning care with the strongest available knowledge, evidence-based clinical practice aims to improve patient outcomes, reduce unwarranted variation, and support transparent, accountable clinical decision-making.
5 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 5 articles above have been cited 29 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Evidence Based Clinical Practice, linking to each citing work.