Haines - Evidence Based Neurosurgery.pdf

TOPIC REVIEW
EVIDENCE-BASED NEUROSURGERY
Stephen J. Haines, . OBJECTIVE: The evidence-based medicine movement is gaining influence in many
Department of Neurological medical specialties. Although many think that clinical medicine always has been
Surgery, Medical University of based on evidence, the discipline of evidence-based medicine places particular em-
South Carolina, Charleston, South
Carolina phasis on a defined set of principles of critical analysis of individual research reports,
methodologically rigorous synthesis of multiple reports, and the collection and dis-
Reprint requests: semination of evidence repositories that allow rapid application of evidence in prac-
Stephen J. Haines, .,
Department of Neurological tice. This article provides a selective introduction to the discipline of evidence-based
Surgery, Medical University of medicine as it applies to neurological surgery.
South Carolina, 96 Jonathan Lucas METHODS: The vast literature on evidence-based medicine has been reviewed selec-
Street, Suite 428 CSB, Charleston,
SC 29425. tively to identify resources that are readable, accessible, and relevant to neurosurgery.
Email: ******@ RESULTS: The history, concepts, and techniques of evidence-based medicine are
presented in brief, and educational and methodological resources, as well as evidence
Received, May 31, 2002.
Accepted, September 6, 2002. repositories, are introduced.
CONCLUSION: The techniques of evidence-based medicine are relevant to neuro-
logical surgery. There is a relatively large repository of critically analyzed and sum-
marized evidence that is useful to the neurosurgical practitioner. Familiarity with these
techniques and repositories can help the neurosurgeon bring the best available evi-
dence to bear on the care of individual patients.
KEY WORDS: Evidence-based medicine, Neurosurgery
Neurosurgery 52:36-47, 2003 DOI: . .com
“No data yet,” he answere