title: Building on evidence to improve patient care.
abstract: Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is gaining importance in the current paediatric healthcare landscape. Improvement of paediatric health status is its major aim. However, for EBM to be successful, all stakeholders involved should understand what EBM really is, why and how EBM should or should not be practiced, and have the necessary skills to distinguish methodologically sound papers from biased opinion papers, and understand how and why guidelines are different from systematic reviews. Improving patient outcome requires attention to high-quality evidence and understanding of the processes of medical decision-making. Rigorous methodology is the cornerstone of guideline production, but in cases where quality evidence cannot be produced, as is often the case in paediatric nephrology because of low patient numbers, consensus-based guidance may be suitable to assist the practitioner at the bedside, as long as the underlying process is transparent. Most importantly, EBM should support patient involvement in a shared decision-making process. The more consistent and accurately predictable the effect of certain interventions is, clinically relevant to patients rather than affecting surrogate outcomes, and a priority for patients and other stakeholders, the more likely it is that adherence to the guidance provided will improve the outcome of patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Nephrology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Evelien
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Snauwaert
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Nephrology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: VandeWalle
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Ghent University Hospital 0K12IA, Ghent, Belgium.|Methods Support Team of European Renal Best Practice (ERBP), Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Evi V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Nagler
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Ghent University Hospital 0K12IA, Ghent, Belgium. wim.vanbiesen@ugent.be.|Methods Support Team of European Renal Best Practice (ERBP), Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium. wim.vanbiesen@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Van Biesen
mesh_terms: D003657:Decision Making; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D005791:Patient Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D012107:Research Design
keywords: Evidence based medicine; Guideline; Health economy; Paediatric; Shared decision making; Sustainable treatment