The use of evidence-based medicine in pediatrics: past, present and future.
OBJECTIVE
Evidence-based medicine is a process that seeks to integrate the best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values in order to optimize clinical outcomes for our patients. This article will review the benefits of and barriers to the use of evidence-based medicine in pediatrics in the twenty-first century, discuss various implementation strategies and outline the resources that pediatricians could use to increase their knowledge and skills and apply them to their clinical practice.


RESULTS
Although physicians have generally welcomed evidence-based medicine, the benefits and limitations are often debated, and studies reveal that physicians feel that practicing evidence-based medicine could be difficult in a busy clinical practice because they lack the time, knowledge and resources. There have been many recent developments to help pediatricians overcome these barriers and to use best evidence in their practice.


CONCLUSIONS
Pediatricians must be able to use the evidence-based medicine process to identify, access, apply and integrate new knowledge into their practice to provide high-quality care for their patients. The resources discussed in this review will help pediatricians make clinical decisions about patient care that are based on the best, most current, valid, and relevant evidence available.
Kersten
Hans B
HB
Section of General Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Drexel University College of Medicine, St Christophers Hospital for Children, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19134-1095, USA. hkersten@drexelmed.edu
Thompson
E Douglas
ED
Frohna
John G
JG
D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000592:standards*