Evidence-based medicine--from best research evidence to a better surgical practice and health care.
BACKGROUND
The use of the terms evidence-based medicine (EBM) and healthcare (EBHC) has become commonplace in the medical as well as in the surgical literature. Using the best available evidence, however, is not yet a working routine among surgeons because of the large amount and complexity of published research and the lack of user-friendly tools and necessary skills for the use of research results.


CONCLUSIONS
This article encourages to formulate surgically relevant questions and to answer them on the basis of high-quality research, preferably by using systematic reviews which are based on the quality criteria of the Cochrane Collaboration.


CONCLUSIONS
As currently only 77 Cochrane reviews address surgical procedures; much work remains to be done to enlarge the number of high-quality and relevant reviews. Similarly, the number and quality of randomized controlled trials need to be increased in all surgical specialties.
Antes
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German Cochrane Centre, Department of Medical Biometrics and Informatics, Division of Medical Biometrics and Statistics, University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Street 26, 79104, Freiburg, Germany. antes@cochrane.de
Sauerland
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S
Seiler
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CM
D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D013502:General Surgery; D006801:Humans; D011364:Professional Practice; D012196:Review Literature as Topic