How to Practice Evidence-Based Medicine

Evidence-based medicine is defined as the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence, combined with individual clinical expertise and patient preferences and values, in making decisions about the care of individual patients. In an effort to emphasize the importance of evidence-based medicine in plastic surgery, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery have launched an initiative to improve the understanding of evidence-based medicine concepts and provide tools for implementing evidence-based medicine in practice. Through a series of special articles aimed at educating plastic surgeons, the authors' hope is that readers will be compelled to learn more about evidence-based medicine and incorporate its principles into their own practices. As the first of the series, this article provides a brief overview of the evolution, current application, and practice of evidence-based medicine. (Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 126: 286, 2010.)