Vinod Srihari1. 1. Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA. vinod.srihari@yale.edu
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Evidence-based medicine has an important place in the teaching and practice of psychiatry. Attempts to teach evidence-based medicine skills can be weakened by conceptual confusions feeding a false polarization between traditional clinical skills and evidence-based medicine. METHODS: The author develops a broader conception of clinical expertise consisting of three tasks, clarifies the role of evidence-based medicine, and explores the implications for teaching and practice. RESULTS: Evidence-based medicine is an essential tool that enables clinicians to assess causal explanations in etiology, risk, or prognosis, or to compare treatments. CONCLUSION: An explicit and inclusive conceptualization of clinical skills can provide a framework to implement and assess curricular efforts to teach evidence-based medicine.
OBJECTIVE: Evidence-based medicine has an important place in the teaching and practice of psychiatry. Attempts to teach evidence-based medicine skills can be weakened by conceptual confusions feeding a false polarization between traditional clinical skills and evidence-based medicine. METHODS: The author develops a broader conception of clinical expertise consisting of three tasks, clarifies the role of evidence-based medicine, and explores the implications for teaching and practice. RESULTS: Evidence-based medicine is an essential tool that enables clinicians to assess causal explanations in etiology, risk, or prognosis, or to compare treatments. CONCLUSION: An explicit and inclusive conceptualization of clinical skills can provide a framework to implement and assess curricular efforts to teach evidence-based medicine.