Philosophical Contemplation on Evidence-Based Medicine

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Today, the main basis of diagnosis and treatment in medicine is the obtained evidence from the research. One of the movements that have attempted to establish this basis is evidence-based medicine (EBM). The present review dealt with the philosophical assessment of this subject.   Methods: In this study, EBM-related data from books and articles were reviewed.   Results: According to the obtained results of this study, the advocates of EBM have two assumptions. The first one is that medicine as practiced today is not scientific and should become scientific using evidence. The second assumption is that clinical decision-making should be based on the data derived from clinical trials the most reliable of which are systematic reviews.   Conclusion: The results of similar EBM-related studies usually lead to the development of guidelines for medical practice. Therefore, the assessments and challenges of EBM should be considered, even if it has been the only way to date.   Keywords: ; Evidence-based medicine; Guidelines; Science