Evidence-based surgery.

Understanding the issues associated with surgical epidemiology,knowledge management, and evidence-based surgical practice has implications for clinicians in the community, surgeons in large metropolitan hospitals, surgeon scholars, and the academic surgeon. All need to have some understanding of not only the evaluation of the evidence and how to find it but, in addition, application of those concepts to continuous quality improvement and to closing a circle of surgical audit. If the surgical profession has an obligation to redefine clinical modus operandi and educational processes, the argument for formal training in aspects of clinical epidemiology during the surgical residency program is obvious,because all surgeons will benefit from those educational exercises.