title: A practitioner's guide to developing critical appraisal skills: translating research into clinical practice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To understand research and develop skills in adopting research findings, clinicians must overcome a series of challenges. First is determining exactly what constitutes evidence-based care. The amount of often contradictory research findings and "expert" opinion that is available can be overwhelming and should not always be taken as best evidence. Accessing the best evidence has its own set of difficulties. Then there is the final challenge of actually incorporating that best evidence into practice, as knowing what should be done rarely is enough to bring about an immediate change in what is done. However, there are means available to help overcome these barriers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Critical summaries of systematic reviews, along with evidence-based treatment recommendations, have emerged as highly condensed, easily accessible vehicles for staying current with research findings. There also is emerging evidence of effective strategies for implementing research findings in practice, as well as organizations with which clinicians can engage to ensure that their patient care is based on the best scientific information available.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, Ill. 60657, USA. eabt7@sbcglobal.net
authors.forename: Elliot
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Abt
authors.forename: James D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Bader
authors.forename: Debbie
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bonetti
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003729:Dental Care; D018865:Dental Research / Q000592:standards; D003815:Dentists; D055094:Evidence-Based Dentistry; D006801:Humans; D058980:Information Literacy; D019239:Practice Patterns, Dentists'; D012196:Review Literature as Topic; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical