Abstract

LAM DIAZ, Rosa M; OLIVA PEREZ, Maritza; HERNANDEZ RAMIREZ, Porfirio  and  MILANES ROLDAN, María Teresa. Evidence-based anemia. Rev Cubana Hematol Inmunol Hemoter [online]. 2002, vol.18, n.3. ISSN 0864-0289.

At present, the health professional faces some knowledge gaps in their daily contact with his/her patients; and at the same time he/she avails of a great flow of information but has neither the capability nor the time to update those pieces of knowledge. In this context, evidence-based medicine emerged, which refers to the conscious, wise and explicit updating of best scientific evidence available in decision-taking about the individual health care of the patients. Evidence-based medicine suggests a structured method to solve clinical practice-derived doubts and put valid and relevant scientific information at the disposal of the busy physician. It requires four steps to put it into practice as well as it combines the individual clinical competence with the best available external evidence on the basis of systematic research. Evidence quality levels have been set, which are related to the study design. These levels go from randomized clinical assays to clinical experience- and descriptive studies-based opinions. Likewise, the evidence quality is linked to the strong recommendation of a certain practice or intervention to be applied in the patients

Keywords : EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE; DECISION MAKING; PATIENT CARE.