Abstract | INTRODUCTION: Evidence-based medicine is often misunderstood as 'cookbook medicine with standard recipes' that does not take clinical experience into account. It is, however, supposed to be a basis for decision making in caring for individual patients under consideration of patients' preferences. This seems to be very important, since diabetic retinopathy continues to be the most frequent cause of vision loss in working age adults with negative consequences for patients' quality of life and for health economics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: RESULTS: DISCUSSION: Evidence-based medicine on the basis of the studies mentioned above is practiced quite self-evidently in ophthalmo-diabetology. It should be regarded as a helpful tool for special therapeutic situations which still leaves room for one's personal clinical experience to be included. It is somewhat problematic that the term evidence-based medicine seems to be restricted to the results of large randomized studies, because even special problems and very individual, difficult therapeutic questions can be placed on an evidence-based foundation, although at a lower level of evidence, using today's modern means of literature research.
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Authors | S Hoerle, P Kroll |
Journal | Ophthalmologica. Journal international d'ophtalmologie. International journal of ophthalmology. Zeitschrift fur Augenheilkunde
(Ophthalmologica)
Vol. 221
Issue 2
Pg. 132-41
( 2007)
ISSN: 0030-3755 [Print] Switzerland |
PMID | 17380067
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Review)
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Copyright | Copyright (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel. |
Topics |
- Diabetic Retinopathy
(therapy)
- Evidence-Based Medicine
(methods)
- Humans
- Outcome Assessment, Health Care
(methods)
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