Evidence-Based Practice and Public Health

Abstract

The most difficult step of evidence-based medicine (EBM) and evidence-based public health (EBPH) is to link the evidence with current clinical knowledge and experience, especially with the continued focus on using evidence in decision-making. Standards of care and clinical practice guidelines are now established and reported using nationally and globally recognized protocols to ensure standard nomenclature and clinical crosswalks. This chapter examines relevant background issues, including concepts underlying EBM, EBPH, and definitions of evidence; describes key analytic tools to enhance the adoption of evidence-based decision-making; and finishes with challenges and opportunities for implementation in public health practice.