With new methods of treatment standardisation resulting in various benefits for patient outcomes, evidence-based medicine and evidence-based practice have emerged as defining features of western healthcare provision in recent years. Most health professions are now adopting some form of 'evidence-based' framework for clinical training and practice. However, the rise of evidence-based healthcare has drawn sustained criticism regarding the limits of trial based evidence, the reductive character of epidemiological study designs, and the potential for an erosion of the importance of lay perspectives and clinical judgement. Evidence-Based Healthcare in Context introduces readers to the social, cultural and historical underpinnings of 'evidence' in healthcare, critically examining questions about what constitutes ’evidence’ and ’effectiveness’ from perspectives outside medicine, including those of patients, complementary medicine and midwifery. It focuses on the application of contemporary theoretical debates around the nature of medical and health knowledge, providing readers with a series of critical analyses of the production, application and translation of 'evidence' in a range of healthcare contexts. Featuring cutting edge work from leading social scientists in the UK, US, Canada, Norway, Australia and New Zealand, this volume draws on the latest empirical research to provide a thorough critical overview of this important field of health research.

A guide to evidence-based decision making for healthcare, medical and nurse managers. New edition of a highly praised and successful book in one of the hottest areas of medicine. Covers the vital areas for healthcare managers - finding and appraising evidence and developing the capacity of individuals and organisations to use evidence. Pressure on healthcare services is growing - this book will be indispensable for managers making difficult decisions about the allocation of scarce resources. Exceptionally well written - highly praised by the Journal of the American Medical Association and the British Medical Journal. More on managerial decision making and managerial options in the face of financial pressure on resources. More focus on how to get better outcomes - how to improve quality rather than just how to measure quality. Updating throughout.

′This handbook is an excellent reflection of the growing maturity and methodological sophistication of the field of Health Technology Assessment. The Handbook covers a spectrum of issues, from primary evidence (clinical trials) through reviews and meta-analysis, to identifying and filling gaps in the evidence. Up-to-date, clearly written, and well-edited, the handbook is a needed addition to any personal or professional library dealing with Health Technology Assessment.′ Professor David Banta, TNO Prevention and Health, The Netherlands ′This text presents the most advanced knowledge on methodology in health care research, and will form the backbone of many future studies′ - Paula Roberts, Nurse Researcher The `effectiveness revolution′ both in research and clinical practice, has tested available methods for health services research to the extreme. How far can observational methods, routine data and qualitative methods be used in health care evaluation? What cost and outcome measures are appropriate, and how should data be gathered? With the support of over two million pounds from the British Health Technology Assessment Research Programme, the research project for this Handbook has led to both a synthesis of all of the existing knowledge in these areas and an agenda for future debate and research. The chapters and their authors have been selected through a careful process of peer review and provide a coherent and complete approach to the field. The handbook has been a unique collaboration between internationally regarded clinicians, statisticians, epidemiologists, social scientists, health economists and ethicists. It provides the most advanced thinking and the most authoritative resource for a state of the art review of methods of evaluating health care and will be required reading for anyone involved in health services research and management.

British Medical Association Book Award Winner - President's Award of the Year 2018 From the author of the bestselling introduction to evidence-based medicine, this brand new title makes sense of the complex and confusing landscape of implementation science, the role of research impact, and how to avoid research waste. How to Implement Evidence-Based Healthcare clearly and succinctly demystifies the implementation process, and explains how to successfully apply evidence-based healthcare to practice in order to ensure safe and effective practice. Written in an engaging and practical style, it includes frameworks, tools and techniques for successful implementation and behavioural change, as well as in-depth coverage and analysis of key themes and topics with a focus on: Groups and teams Organisations Patients Technology Policy Networks and systems How to Implement Evidence-Based Healthcare is essential reading for students, clinicians and researchers focused on evidence-based medicine and healthcare, implementation science, applied healthcare research, and those working in public health, public policy, and management.

The growing movement towards evidence-based healthcare design has largely emphasised a change of culture and attitudes. It has advocated for new ways of working, but until now, it has not focused on equipping healthcare clients and their designers with the practical means to exploit the potential benefits from evidence-based architectural design. Development of indicators and tools that aid designers and users of the built environments in thinking about quality enhances the design process to achieve better outcomes. Importantly, design tools can support managers and designers through end-user involvement and an increased understanding of what patients and staff expect from their healthcare facilities. They can facilitate the creation of patient-centred environments which improve user satisfaction. Design Tools for Evidence-Based Healthcare Design: Discusses the tools that are being used to achieve, design quality and excellence within the context of NHS procurement systems such as PFI, Procure21 and others. Collates information that increases our understanding of these tools, in order to be able to make the best use of them Clarifies where, during the various stages of a building’s life (from inception, design, construction, occupation and re-use), these tools should be used in order to derive the benefits possible from evidence-based design Provides in one place an authoritative reference publication that will act as a memory, a user guide and manual for these design tools Illustrated with case studies from throughout the UK and written by a well-known expert in the field, this book will provide essential reading for anyone involved in healthcare design.

Health IT is a major field of investment in support of healthcare delivery, but patients and professionals tend to have systems imposed upon them by organizational policy or as a result of even higher policy decision. And, while many health IT systems are efficient and welcomed by their users, and are essential to modern healthcare, this is not the case for all. Unfortunately, some systems cause user frustration and result in inefficiency in use, and a few are known to have inconvenienced patients or even caused harm, including the occasional death. This book seeks to answer the need for better understanding of the importance of robust evidence to support health IT and to optimize investment in it; to give insight into health IT evidence and evaluation as its primary source; and to promote health informatics as an underpinning science demonstrating the same ethical rigour and proof of net benefit as is expected of other applied health technologies. The book is divided into three parts: the context and importance of evidence-based health informatics; methodological considerations of health IT evaluation as the source of evidence; and ensuring the relevance and application of evidence. A number of cross cutting themes emerge in each of these sections. This book seeks to inform the reader on the wide range of knowledge available, and the appropriateness of its use according to the circumstances. It is aimed at a wide readership and will be of interest to health policymakers, clinicians, health informaticians, the academic health informatics community, members of patient and policy organisations, and members of the vendor industry.

The Evidence-Based Nursing Series is co-published with Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI). The series focuses on implementing evidence-based practice in nursing and midwifery and mirrors the remit of Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, encompassing clinical practice, administration, research and public policy. Clinical Context for Evidence-Based Practice provides insights into the key contextual issues to be considered in the implementation and assessment of evidence-based practice. Increasingly, implementation research is demonstrating that for evidence to be successfully implemented into practice, the context of practice needs to be considered. Clinical Context for Evidence-Based Practice addresses professional, educational, and organizational contextual issues that impact on the implementation of evidence into practice and the bringing about of practice change. Practical strategies that have been used effectively to overcome these contextual issues in a range of healthcare settings are identified. Specific contextual issues in different care settings are also addressed e.g. acute care, primary health care, peri-operative settings, paediatrics, aged care, mental health, midwifery. Each chapter is written by an internationally known and respected author, with experience of developing or reviewing contextual strategies that have an impact on the implementation and utilisation of research in practice. They explore how gaining a better understanding of context made a difference to the implementation process or outcome and address the potential to transfer different approaches to a range of healthcare settings. An informative, practical resource for nurses and other health care professionals Explores context-related models and approaches to implementation Informs implementation and enables effective decision making Critically appraises contextual factors across the spectrum of care Explores future directions and implications Includes case examples

In the early 1990s, a new concept was coined: ‘evidence-based medicine’ (EBM). After a remarkably short time, EBM was virtually all-pervasive in medicine and healthcare throughout the world. Even outside the domain of healthcare, the new concept became fashionable, for example in the shape of (pleas for) ‘evidence-based management’ and ‘evidence-based policy’. In short, ‘evidence-based’ developed into one of the mantras of the current era. This book uses history as a tool to gain insight into the highly influential, but also elusive and multifaceted phenomenon of EBM. As such, A Doctor’s Order is a ‘must read’ for patients, professionals, managers and policy makers in healthcare as well as for anyone who is interested in understanding the present socio-political order.

Comparative effectiveness research – the conduct and synthesis of systematic research in order to compare the benefits and harms of alternative treatment options – is of critical importance in enabling informed health care decisions to be made. This user-friendly, practical handbook examines in depth how best to perform such comparative effectiveness research. A wide range of topics and methods are discussed, including research synthesis, sampling analysis, assessment of evidence design, systematic evaluation of statistical analysis, and meta-analysis. The discussion extends well beyond the fundamentals by encompassing “complex” systematic reviews, “cumulative” meta-analyses, and logic-based versus utility-based decision making. Health care providers, researchers, instructors, and students will all find this to be an invaluable reference on the compelling current issues and important analytical tools in comparative effectiveness research.