Customer Reviews

Evidence-Based Medicine: How to Practice and Teach EBM (Book with CD-ROM)

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This well done book is partly an introduction to teaching/practicing Evidence Based Medicine (EBM)and partly an act of evangelism. The authors are concerned not only with describing the basic methods of EBM but also with convincing readers that this is the appropriate way to practice and teach clinical medicine. EBM and its precursor movements are based on the correct realization that physicians tend not to be very critical about clinical practice, much of which is learned by emulation. This book builds on an existing movement and the presence of widely available online resources to tap into appropriate critical evaluations of clinical practice. In doing so, the authors attempt to educate physicians about how to use these resources, relatively simple statistical tools that can be incorporated into application of good clinical literature to practice, and how to teach these methods. Because the authors are academics who wish to influence medical education, there is a good deal of emphasis on educational methods. While this may be an apparent short coming for readers who are not academics, it is actually worthwhile for all physicians because self-education is a constant part of our job. This book is very well done with some nice features. It is small and has a durable plastic cover, designed to carried in pockets or in a medical bag, there is a small CD with good examples, and a set of plasticized flash cards on major key points. Drawbacks are relatively minor. More information on how to analyze clinical trials and studies would be useful but in a concise book, something has to give way. Used carefully, the information in this book may change your practice and teaching methods.

As a physician-teacher of EBM to internal medicine residents, this is the best book I've run across for this purpose. We utilize the reader's guides, first published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal and later in JAMA, written by Guyatt, Sackett, and others, which are perfectly complemented by this volume. I recommend it to all of the residents and have purchased multiple copies for house staff use (although I can't seem to keep them on the shelf...) It makes learning EBM fun and highlights its usefulness and, most importantly for busy physicians, speed. Worth reading for every physician interested in practicing medicine based on only the best evidence.

Concise and precise- just what the busy clinician wants to see. And for whoever needs more info, there is an extra CD Rom that preovides just that. Few medical books had more impact on my professional behavior than this one. Buy it, read it, and follow its advise!

Dr. Sackett's book is a well thought out review of evidence-based medicine (EBM), and is the source of what seems to be the most often noted definition of EBM. This is a must-have reference for those interested in evidence-based action (which applies to much more than just medicine). However, according to Sackett's own definition, this edition is getting a little long in the tooth. He also follows a pretty classical approach to the logic of rational decision making, which may or may not suit the reader.

This book is well done from an educational perspective. You'll find nice diagrams, figures, a CD-ROM, and everything you need in order to assimilate it nicely. References are provided and well organized.

As usual when it comes to EBM (and paradoxically), it lacks a little bit in introspection, like for example when it claims that basically the only real limitation of EBM is that the physician needs to acquire new skills, while other criticisms (such as the "cookbook" approach or the fact that it might tend toward saving money against the benefit of the patients) are dismissed as "concerns" on how the method is (or will be) used. The authors genuinely sound like thinking EBM should always be applied everywhere to every problem, and that borders with black-vs-white thinking, which is dangerous in and of itself.

However, if you are interested in knowing EBM, how to apply it, where to find resources, etc, this book is most definitely for you.

This is an excellent "how to" manual for those who are serious about learning how to apply evidence based medicine principles. Lots of folks talk about "evidence based medicine" but few really know what it means. This is obviously intended as a teaching tool for residents but is equally useful for any physician who is interested in learning the principles required to do the best job for his/her patient. The size and summary cards are handy for carrying with you wherever you may need them! Easy to read but with great substance.

This book really helped me to understand fully the concept of evidence-based medicine and how to integrate it to my profession. I am a physical therapist and I have learned a lot from this book. The authors provided links that would help the reader that can help in practicing evidence-based medicine. Overall, it is an excellent book!

this is one of the best books on the subject of evidence-based medicine, I use this book to teach mb

Excellent review of evidence based medicine. Concise and to the point. Have used it multiple times during residency and fellowship.

Sackett's EBM is the Bible for anyone conducting systematic review. It is THE how-to guide for clinical medicine SR and a great starting point for thinking about SR in the social sciences. Thank you Dr. Sackett for bringing SR to the masses.