The first step of EBM is to assess the patient, situation, and clinical need. In this stage you still assess the patient to determine all the pertinent issues - this may include a differential diagnosis, treatment decisions, or prognosis.
A common fallacy is that EBP devalues the fundamental tenets of the practice of medicine, specifically clinical expertise. A comprehensive understanding of pathophysiology and clinical examination skills still remain integral to the EBM process.
The Assess stage allows you, the clinician, to determine if you need to proceed to the Ask stage. You must determine through expertise, history taking, and patient interaction what type of clinical question is under investigation.
CLINICAL QUESTIONS
During the assess phase, you should evaluate the clinical situation to determine whether your question/investigation is asking a background or foreground question. Knowing the type of clinical question you are investigating helps you to determine the best research strategy and resources to answer the question.
Examples
Examples