Some of the principles behind Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) are evident throughout modern day medicine, but the term EBM is relatively new. The term EBM began floating around in the early 1990s, but was later formally defined by Sackett et al. in 1996. [1] The article “History and development of evidence-based medicine” [2] provides a timeline of the development of EBM and looks at how technology has played a large role in the advancement of EBM.

Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) is a title suited to a multidisciplinary application of EBM, but you may encounter many other similar terms within your discipline. A common term used in nursing is Evidence-Based Nursing (EBN), which will be used throughout this tutorial. A common principle throughout is using the best evidence available to make a decision about your patient or population. EBN is not just about encompassing research findings, but also other dimensions of clinical decision making such as clinical expertise, patient values, and resources.

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is an approach to health care wherein health professionals use the best evidence possible, i.e. the most appropriate information available, to make clinical decisions for individual patients....It involves complex and conscientious decision-making based not only on the available evidence but also on patient characteristics, situations, and preferences. It recognized that health care is individualized and ever changing and involves uncertainties and probabilities. [3]

Evidence based medicine is the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients. The practice of evidence based medicine means integrating individual clinical expertise with the best available external clinical evidence from systematic research. [1]

The conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients or groups….requires integration of individual clinical expertise and patient preferences with the best available external clinical evidence from systematic research, and consideration of available resources.[4]

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