Limitations of evidence in the practice of evidence-based medicine.

The goal of evidence-based medicine (EBM) is to support population-based policies and individual medical decisions that serve to improve health outcomes through the use of the most proven effective treatments. The essence of EBM is to use evidence (typically research data) related to the effectiveness of medical interventions to guide decisions about whether to use those interventions in clinical practice. The quality of evidence is the critical component in understanding and using EBM. This article discusses the kinds and limitations of the evidence used in the practice of EBM.