Physical Therapy: Searching the Literature: EBP

Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) is the framework for your clinical decision-making process. It is the integration of

• your knowledge, skills, and past experience (Clinical Expertise);
• the unique preferences, concerns and expectations of your patient (Patient Characteristics); and
• valid and clinically relevant research (Best Evidence).

               - Review the Situation (Assess)

             - Define the clinical problem as a question (Ask)

             - Select resources, design a strategy, and search for the

               answer (Acquire)

             - Summarize the evidence yield (Appraise)

             - Apply the evidence (Apply)

Therapy - What is the treatment for a disease?

Diagnosis - power of a test to differentiate between those with and without a disease?

Prognosis - a patient’s likely course over time due to factors other than interventions?

Etiology/Harm - effects of potentially harmful agents on the patient?

Levels of Evidence help you target the likely best type of evidence.

Physiopedia. (2018). Grades and levels of evidence. Retrieved from http://www.physio-pedia.com/grades_and_levels_of_evidence