Essential Evidence-Based Medicine
Published on 17. June 2004
Book
Mixed media product
392 pages
978-0-521-83261-8 (ISBN)
Description
Evidence Based Medicine (EBM), using the best evidence in the literature for the best care for an individual patient, sounds very simple. Yet, most medical students and physicians do not have the mathematical background or training to critically evaluate published research. This 'users guide' to EBM helps you become a more discriminating reader of the medical literature. An introduction to scientific methods and study design then leads on to a better understanding of measurements and sources of bias. There is a brief introduction to statistics and hypothesis testing (Type I and II errors) and measures of risk and efficacy. The second half of the book teaches medical decision-making including discussions of the clinical examination and sources of bias in that examination, likelihood ratios, sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values and advanced topics in medical decision making. This is an ideal introductory text for medical students and all health-care professionals.
Reviews / Votes
'... highly accurate, and easy to read textbook about EBM, suitable for all lifelong learners of medicine. Modestly titled 'Essential,' it contains much more than the essentials. It contains-and conveys-true understanding.' bmj.com 'Everything is covered, and having mastered this, students will know a lot. Yet the skill in teaching shines through. ... So it can be used in a variety of ways. I will use it as a reference text for epidemiology and statistics, and use some of the clinical examples. I think I will also make use of the assessment CD to design material for our students. Others could use it as a self-contained text to learn the introductory skills on their own. It is certainly up to that.' Statistics in Medicine 'The author is an EBM expert who provides an excellent overview and practical approach to the topic. the book includes a history of medicine and statistics and a thought provoking essay on what constitutions EBM. Several chapters are dedicated to topics that would normally require reading in additional textbooks, thereby making this an all-in-one resource ... the text is well organised and offers comprehensive information on EBM.' EBM Online '... an excellent overview of evidence-based medicine which has been thoroughly updated since the previous edition. Once you have read this book thoroughly you will know most of what you need to know about evidence-based medicine and be in a position to think carefully about its applications in the real world. The book should be a key core text book for medical students and for those undertaking masters-level training in public health or evidence-based practice and it should be a compulsory handbook for practising clinicians!' European Journal of Public HealthMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
40 Tables, unspecified; 14 Halftones, unspecified; 92 Line drawings, unspecified
Dimensions
Height: 254 mm
Width: 195 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
1034 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-521-83261-8 (9780521832618)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
New editions
Book
11/2009
2nd Edition
Cambridge University Press
€67.03
Shipment within 15-20 days
Person
Dr. Mayer is a Professor of Emergency Medicine and the Theme Leader of the Evidence Based Health Care course at Albany Medical College in Albany, New York. He has been practising emergency medicine for twenty-four years. For the last 10 years he has developed and taught a required four-year course called Evidence Based Health Care at Albany Medical College. He has been a tutor at Evidence Based Health Care seminars around the world and has spoken frequently about teaching Evidence Based Medicine to educators, medical school faculty, undergraduate medical students, and residents at conferences internationally and in the USA.
Content
Preface; 1. A brief history of medicine and statistics; 2. What is evidence based?; 3. Causation; 4. The medical literature: an overview; 5. Searching the medical literature; 6. Study design and strength of evidence; 7. Instruments and measurements: precision and validity; 8. Sources of bias; 9. Review of basic statistics; 10. Hypothesis testing; 11. Type I errors and number needed to treat; 12. Negative studies and type II errors; 13. Risk assessment; 14. Multivariate analysis; 15. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs); 16. Scientific integrity and the responsible conduct of research; 17. Applicability and strength of evidence; 18. An overview of decision making in medicine; 19. Sources of error in the clinical encounter; 20. The use of diagnostic tests; 21. Utility and characteristics of diagnostic tests: likelihood ratios, sensitivity and specificity; 22. Bayes' theorem, predictive values, post test probabilities and interval likelihood ratios; 23. Comparing tests and using ROC curves; 24. Incremental gain and the threshold approach to diagnostic testing; 25. Sources of bias and critical appraisal of studies of diagnostic tests; 26. Screening tests; 27. Practice guidelines and clinical prediction rules; 28. Decision analysis; 29. Cost effective analysis; 30. Outcome analysis; 31. Meta-analysis; Appendix 1. Common medical journals; Appendix 2. Glossary; Appendix 3. Bibliography; Appendix 4. Levels of evidence and grades of recommendations; Appendix 5. Overview of critical appraisal; Appendix 6. Common statistical tests; Appendix 7. Useful Web sites; Appendix 8. Formulae; Appendix 9. Proof of Bayes' Theorem; Appendix 10. Balance sheet approach to calculating threshold values; Index.