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Evidence Based Health Practice

Evidence-based health practice applies the scientific method to use the best available evidence—from physical exams, diagnostic reviews, medical research, and known risks and benefits of treatment options—when making medical decisions. RAND has investigated the impact of adopting evidence-based health practices on patient care and health care policies, and the greater implications of using a national quality measurement and reporting system.

Journal Article

Journal Article

Impacts of Evidence-Based Quality Improvement on Depression in Primary Care: A Randomized Experiment

The modest improvements, along with qualitative data, identify potential future directions for improving CGI research and practice.

Jan 1, 2006
Journal Article

Journal Article

Application of Explicit Process of Care Measurement to Rheumatoid Arthritis: Moving from Evidence to Practice

The authors conducted a prospective cohort study of rates of change in disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) and/or systemic corticosteroid drug or dose for 568 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) across 6,159 clinical encounters within 12 months to examine how changes in clinical specifications change adherence.

Jan 1, 2006
Journal Article

Journal Article

Results of the National Initiative for Cancer Care Quality: How Can We Improve the Quality of Cancer Care in the United States?

Initial management of patients with breast and colorectal cancer in the United States seemed consistent with evidence-based practice.

Jan 1, 2006
Journal Article

Journal Article

Aligning Measurement-Based Quality Improvement with Implementation of Evidence-Based Practices

Two models for improving quality of care have been adopted by segments of the US mental healthcare system.

Jan 1, 2006
Research Brief

Research Brief

Some Prescription Diet Drugs Promote Weight Loss

To assess the effectiveness and safety of prescription weight-loss medications, researchers at the Southern California Evidence-Based Practice Center analyzed 78 published studies of the most popular diet drugs.

Nov 25, 2005
Report

Report

Analysis of Healthcare Interventions that Change Patient Trajectories

Examines interventions in the healthcare system that use Electronic Medical Record Systems (EMR-S) to affect patient trajectories -- i.e., the sequence of encounters a patient has with the healthcare system.

Sep 12, 2005
Journal Article

Journal Article

Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Cancer

The authors assess the effect of omega-3 fatty acids on 1) tumor incidence 2) clinical outcomes after cancer treatment, and 3) tumor behavior.

Jan 1, 2005
Journal Article

Journal Article

A Guide to This Supplement

Over the past decade, EPCs accumulated a wealth of knowledge about conducting systematic reviews and compiling evidence reports.

Jan 1, 2005
Report

Report

Organizational Improvement and Accountability: Lessons for Education from Other Sectors

Describes accountability models in the manufacturing, job training, legal, and health care sectors; summarizes their effectiveness; and draws specific lessons for educators.

May 2, 2004
Journal Article

Journal Article

Observational Studies and Evidence-Based Practice: Can't Live with Them, Can't Live Without Them

Generally, there are several major problems with the use of observational studies in systematic reviews of evidence for a treatment procedure.

Mar 1, 2003
Report

Report

Chronic Disease Self Management for Diabetes, Osteoarthritis, Post-Myocardial Infarction Care, and Hypertension

Investigates the characteristics particular to chronic disease self-management programs that may be most responsible for their effectiveness.

Jan 1, 2003
Report

Report

Exercise Programs for Older Adults Help Reduce Falls

The strongest beneficial effect of exercise for the elderly is in fall reduction. Physical activity also modestly to moderately improved strength and cardiovascular performance among previously sedentary older people.

Jan 1, 2003
Report

Report

Falls Prevention Interventions in the Medicare Population

Reviews the effectiveness of interventions that can be used to prevent falls among persons age 65 or older.

Jan 1, 2003
Report

Report

Health Risk Appraisals and Medicare

Reviews the effectiveness of Health Risk Appraisals among the Medicare population for a number of variables, including exercise habits, use of cancer screenings, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, health status, and psychological state.

Jan 1, 2003
Report

Report

Interventions that Increase the Utilization of Medicare-Funded Preventive Services for Persons Age 65 and Older

Reviews the evidence for effectiveness of the screening/vaccination programs currently covered by Medicare: influenza and pneumonia vaccinations, screening mammography, cervical smear cytology, and colon cancer screening.

Jan 1, 2003
Report

Report

Interventions to Promote Smoking Cessation in the Medicare Population

Reviews the effectiveness of interventions used to promote smoking cessation among persons age 65 or older.

Jan 1, 2003
Journal Article

Journal Article

Is the Methodological Quality of Guidelines Declining in the US? Comparison of the Quality of US Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) Guidelines with Those Published Subsequently

North American guidelines developed subsequent to the AHCPR guidelines are of worse methodological quality,

Jan 1, 2003
Journal Article

Journal Article

A Review of the Evidence for the Effectiveness, Safety, and Cost of Acupuncture, Massage Therapy, and Spinal Manipulation for Back Pain

Few treatments for back pain are supported by strong scientific evidence.

Jan 1, 2003
Journal Article

Journal Article

Aligning Incentives in the Treatment of Depression in Primary Care with Evidence-Based Practice

Deficits in the quality of treatment of depression in the primary care sector have been documented in multiple studies.

Jan 1, 2003
Journal Article

Journal Article

Emerging Models of Depression Care: Multi-Level ('6 P') Strategies

Depression is a prevalent, often chronic condition that has enormous personal, social, and financial consequences.

Jan 1, 2003

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RAND Topic:
Evidence Based Health Practice

Topic Synonyms:
EBP;
Evidence-Based Practice

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