Evidence-based medicine: an incomplete method for informing treatment choices

To be successful, the Cochrane Collaboration has to facilitate the translation of new evidence into changed clinical behaviour and better services for patients.

Abstract

During the past few years, there has been a burgeoning interest in evidence-based medicine. 1 Sackett DL Rosenberg WMC On the need for evidence-based medicine. Health Econ. 1995; 4: 249-254 Crossref PubMed Scopus (69) Google Scholar , 2 Sackett DL Rosenberg WMC On the need for evidenc-based medicine. Public Health Med. 1995; 17: 330-334 PubMed Google Scholar , 3 Sackett DL Rosenberg WMC The need for evidence-based medicine. J R Soc Med. 1995; 88: 620-624 PubMed Google Scholar , 4 Sackett DL Rosenberg WMC Muir Gray JA Haynes RB Richardson WS Evidence based medicine: what it is and what it isn't. BMJ. 1996; 312: 71-72 Crossref PubMed Google Scholar In the UK, proponents of evidence-based medicine exert much influence on governement policy and the wider political debate about health care.