evidence-based medicine
(EH-vih-dents-bayst MEH-dih-sin)
A systematic approach to medicine in which doctors and other health care professionals use the best available scientific evidence from clinical research to help make decisions about the care of individual patients. A physician’s clinical experience and the patient’s values and preferences are also important in the process of using the evidence to make decisions. The use of evidence-based medicine may help plan the best treatment and improve quality of care and patient outcomes. Also called EBM.