Evidence-Based Practice in Pediatric Audiology

“Evidence Based Practice” (EBP) is an approach to clinical service delivery that has become increasingly advocated in the past decade (McKibbon 1999). EBP was initially discussed in the field of medicine, and evidence-based medicine (EBM) received increasing attention in the 1990’s. EBM is defined as the “conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of patients . . . achieved through integrating individual expertise with access to systematic evidence” (OxfordCentre for Evidence Based Medicine 2004). EBM incorporates several elements, the primary of which is the major role of scientific evidence in clinical decision-making (McKibbon 1999). Scientific evidence is not sufficient, as in EBM clinical experience and a strong basic education of the practitioner are used in conjunction with research. Finally and importantly, EBM considers each individual’s unique situation, recognizing the preferences, expectations, culture and feelings of the patient are incorporated into the clinical decision making process (OxfordCentre for Evidence Based Medicine 2004, on line article; McKibbon 1999). Why is EBM so strongly advocated in the delivery of healthcare today? Numerous factors impact on delivery of medical healthcare services including resources availability, quality of life, identification, comprehensive diagnosis, and timely treatment. Therefore, there is a need to ensure that the medical practices delivered to patients are the best that can be provided. Dr. Muir Gray, Director, National Elec-