Evidence-Based Medicine Matters

Bryan Howard

At a time when the price of pharmaceuticals is rising and the sophistication, precision (and price) of diagnostic equipment increasing, the cost of providing medical care rises steadily; and this is against a background of an aging population. When resources come under pressure, it is essential that they are deployed to best effect, and the only way of ensuring that this takes place is to require an audit to be kept of inputs and outputs to the care and treatment of our citizens. In effect, this will demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of medical care provision, allowing informed decisions to be made about the allocation and deployment of resources. Furthermore, the collection of information about the effectiveness of medical interventions enables not only the dissemination of best practice but also the identification of issues, investigation of which may advance medical science further, thereby enhancing practices. This is not to argue that all medical practice must always be evidence based. There will always be sceptics who challenge perceived wisdom, and thy too may demonstrate inconsistencies and muddled thinking by more traditional practitioners.