Why Evidence Based Medicine?

Evidence-based medicine is a noun that is defined as medical practice or care that emphasizes the practical application of the findings of the best available current research. As noted in the Texas statute (18-a) "Evidence-based medicine" means the use of current best quality scientific and medical evidence formulated from credible scientific studies, including peer-reviewed medical literature and other current scientifically based texts, and treatment and practice guidelines in making decisions about the care of individual patients.

It has been said that "endorsement of unproven treatments makes a mockery of evidence-based medicine" Dating back to the 19th century, it is also defined as the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients. ?

In short, evidence-based medicine is the most current and proven best practices noted in the delivery of quality care today. It is said that the half life of a medical education is 15 years, and a competent provider must keep current on best practices, a task that is challenging to maintain.?

With advancement of today’s technology, the most current clinical data is only few keystrokes away. What does this mean? That while some treatments that were popular less than a decade ago, the current literature does not support those interventions, that all too often continued to be employed.

?Therefore, in an evolving environment that requires only the best possible intervention to achieve the maximal positive outcomes, the individual adjusting claim files, the providers overseeing treatment and the regulators adjudicating the files must be informed as to the best current practices. Guideline services such as Official Disability Guidelines, MDGuidelines, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Up To Date do all they can to update the user of their service with the best and most recent medical evidence to endorse (or not endorse) specific interventions.

Consequently, it is incumbent on the adjuster to present to the hearing officer or other adjudicator what is best practices so that only the proven interventions will be attempted.

?However, this can work in both directions as anyone adept in searching the world wide web can find data that can complicate the care rendered. Thus, it is the skilled clinician who can sort the wheat from the chaff to provide the best applicable care for the specific clinical situation and that is the individual who must be listened to when decoding on future care. Have the citations and references ready as “because I said so” may work for your parents, but not in deciding what is best for the injured individual.