The application of the methods of evidence-based practice to occupational health

Evidence-based methods of practice are becoming widely used in many areas of healthcare. The techniques of data appraisal, systematic review and meta-analysis and their application to clinical and preventative medicine through clinical guidelines and economic analyses are well established. These methods have only been applied to occupational health risks and interventions in a very limited way and there is considerable scope for wider use, especially in the clinical aspects of practice. This should improve the quality of prevention and would also enable practitioners to give more soundly based advice and to secure their professional positions as providers of quality assured information. Human and financial resources and commitment to the development of evidence-based approaches by the professions and those they work for are pre-requisites for success.