Biomaterial Database

Evidence-based management in the NHS: is it possible? 2004

Alistair Hewison

School of Health Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK.

The rise of evidence-based medicine and more recently evidence-based policy reflect the increasing importance of evidence as a basis for the organisation and delivery of health care. Evidence-based practice is central to the "modernisation" of health care in current UK policy. The latest manifestation of this process is the emergence of evidence-based management in health care. This paper examines the development of evidence-based approaches in health care and questions the appropriateness of such an approach to management. The problems inherent in applying the principles of EBP to management are explored and alternative apporoach based on the notion of craft is suggested as more practical and realistic.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011640	Public Policy	A course or method of action selected, usually by a government, from among alternatives to guide and determine present and future decisions.	Social Policy,Affirmative Action,Migration Policy,Population Policy,Social Protection,Action, Affirmative,Migration Policies,Policies, Migration,Policies, Population,Policies, Public,Policies, Social,Policy, Migration,Policy, Population,Policy, Public,Policy, Social,Population Policies,Protection, Social,Public Policies,Social Policies
D005240	Feasibility Studies	Studies to determine the advantages or disadvantages, practicability, or capability of accomplishing a projected plan, study, or project.	Feasibility Study,Studies, Feasibility,Study, Feasibility
D006113	United Kingdom	Country in northwestern Europe including Great Britain and the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland, located between the North Sea and north Atlantic Ocean. The capital is London.	Great Britain,Isle of Man
D013222	State Medicine	A system of medical care regulated, controlled and financed by the government, in which the government assumes responsibility for the health needs of the population.	National Health Service, British,Socialized Medicine,British Health Service, National,British National Health Service,Medicine, Socialized,Medicine, State,Service, British National Health
D019317	Evidence-Based Medicine	An approach of practicing medicine with the goal to improve and evaluate patient care. It requires the judicious integration of best research evidence with the patient's values to make decisions about medical care. This method is to help physicians make proper diagnosis, devise best testing plan, choose best treatment and methods of disease prevention, as well as develop guidelines for large groups of patients with the same disease. (from JAMA 296 (9), 2006)	Medicine, Evidence-Based,Evidence Based Medicine,Medicine, Evidence Based