What's the evidence What is evidence-based decision-making? "It is not tyranny over providers," the National Forum on Health reported in February. "It is not value-free; it is not a suggestion that evidence is not being used now; it is not a methodological straitjacket; it is not an excuse for inaction... It is simply getting the best information in 0place so that people can make the best decision that is consistent with their values and circumstances." The forum provided the following example of how inadequate information skews health care. "The board of a large metropolitan hospital is required to decide how best to manage a $1.2-million budget cut. The chair searches for supportive evidence to help formulate a rational response. He asks for performance indicators on how the hospital compares with others to determine potential cost-saving strategies and optimal budget allocations that would not sacrifice patient and provider needs. He is told that, although large amounts of data are available, the information is not useful for making budgetary decisions and program tradeoffs are made with little evidence to support the final decisions." [Return to text] | CMAJ June 15, 1997 (vol 156, no 12) / JAMC le 15 juin 1997 (vol 156, no 12) |