Essential Evidence-Based Medicine (Essential Medical Texts for Students and Trainees) - Softcover

'... highly accurate, and easy to read textbook about EBM, suitable for all lifelong learners of medicine. Modestly titled 'Essential,' it contains much more than the essentials. It contains-and conveys-true understanding.' bmj.com

'Everything is covered, and having mastered this, students will know a lot. Yet the skill in teaching shines through. ... So it can be used in a variety of ways. I will use it as a reference text for epidemiology and statistics, and use some of the clinical examples. I think I will also make use of the assessment CD to design material for our students. Others could use it as a self-contained text to learn the introductory skills on their own. It is certainly up to that.' Statistics in Medicine

'The author is an EBM expert who provides an excellent overview and practical approach to the topic. the book includes a history of medicine and statistics and a thought provoking essay on what constitutions EBM. Several chapters are dedicated to topics that would normally require reading in additional textbooks, thereby making this an all-in-one resource ... the text is well organised and offers comprehensive information on EBM.' EBM Online

'... an excellent overview of evidence-based medicine which has been thoroughly updated since the previous edition. Once you have read this book thoroughly you will know most of what you need to know about evidence-based medicine and be in a position to think carefully about its applications in the real world. The book should be a key core text book for medical students and for those undertaking masters-level training in public health or evidence-based practice and it should be a compulsory handbook for practising clinicians!' European Journal of Public Health

Evidence Based Medicine (EBM), using the best evidence in the literature for the best care for an individual patient, sounds very simple. Yet, most medical students and physicians do not have the mathematical background or training to critically evaluate published research. This 'users guide' to EBM helps you become a more discriminating reader of the medical literature. An introduction to scientific methods and study design then leads on to a better understanding of measurements and sources of bias. There is a brief introduction to statistics and hypothesis testing (Type I and II errors) and measures of risk and efficacy. The second half of the book teaches medical decision-making including discussions of the clinical examination and sources of bias in that examination, likelihood ratios, sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values and advanced topics in medical decision making. This is an ideal introductory text for medical students and all health-care professionals.