FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
• What is Evidence Based Medicine (EBM)?
• Why is EBM needed?
• Haven’t healthcare providers always practiced Evidence Based Medicine?
• Are healthcare providers aware of Evidence Based Medicine?
• How can an EBM expert help my case?
• Can our team learn EBM?
What is EBM?
EBM is a system that teaches how to ask better medical questions to find the best available medical evidence and to evaluate and apply that evidence to the care of the patient. It involves 4 key steps:
(1) Framing your medical question properly;
(2) Finding high quality medical information on the internet;
(3) Evaluating that information to determine its validity; and
(4) Applying that evidence to patient care.
Why is EBM needed?
Scientific evidence helps healthcare providers make better medical decisions. However, with over 2 million articles published in the medical literature each year, doctors are overwhelmed with information and what information to trust. Since the early 1990’s, healthcare providers have been using EBM, a powerful system to systematically sort through and apply the best available evidence to the care of their patients.
Haven’t healthcare providers always practiced Evidence Based Medicine?
No. In fact, prior to the introduction of EBM, the U.S. Congress’ Office of Technology Assessment estimated that only 10-20% of all medical decisions were evidence-based. In part, this was due to the challenge of physicians accessing the evidence. In the late 1990’s, powerful online medical databases enabled easy access to the evidence. At that point, the practice of EBM began to take off exponentially and emerged as the standard by which medical decisions are now being made.
Are healthcare providers aware of Evidence Based Medicine?
Yes. EBM is now part of the mandatory curriculum at most medical schools across the United States. It is widely referred to and taught at conferences and in the medical literature. It also has had far reaching implications on health policy and decision making in managed care. While most physicians are aware of the importance and value of EBM, some who were trained more than 10 years ago, before EBM became a routine part of the medical curriculum, may not have acquired the skills to practice EBM at a high level and may disproportionately base their decisions on past clinical experience and expert opinion. This practice may or may not align with the current best available evidence.
How can an EBM expert help my case?
If you have a question on a health related issue in your case, an EBM expert can help you. We provide an evidence-based analysis of what the most rigorous medical evidence says about your particular situation. For example:
• In medical malpractice cases, we evaluate whether the medical decision making complies with the standards set forth in the medical evidence;
• In insurance dispute or workers compensation cases, we determine whether there is any evidence in the medical literature to support the care recommended or whether a procedure is medically necessary;
• In product liability or toxic tort cases, we determine whether the medical literature supports issues of causation; and
• In most cases using medical expert witnesses, such as personal injury, we can evaluate either party’s medical expert opinion to see whether that opinion is supported by the best available medical evidence.
• In addition, we can help you prepare your own medical expert for deposition testimony, analyze the opposing party’s medical expert opinion and help strategize for that expert’s cross-examination, and integrate an evidence based medicine analysis into legal argument for motions and trial.
Can our team learn EBM?
Yes. For a free online tutorial about the basics of Evidence Based Medicine, visit the EBM Resource Center at www.SuperSmartHealth.com. You will be taken through the thought process of the Evidence Based Medicine practitioner in lay person language. Also, there are many links provided to take you to some great medical databases to perform medical research and learn how to critically appraise that research on your own. In addition, we offer customized in-house training programs to train your attorneys, paralegals and support staff in Evidence Based Medicine. Contact us today.
