Evidence-based practice: a framework for clinical practice and research design

Abstract

The evidence-based practice (EBP) framework emerged in the early 1970s as a means of improving clinical practice. This shift towards EBP allowed health professionals to move from a culture of delivering care based on tradition, intuition and authority, to a situation where decisions were guided and justified by the best available evidence. Despite the many advantages of EBP, many practitioners remain cautious about embracing the model. Part of this opposition is due to a misunderstanding of EBP, which this paper aims to address.