Myth: neonatology is evidence-based

Abstract

The practice of evidence-based medicine involves the judicious use of current best evidence in the care of individual patients. Decisions about diagnosis, prognosis and treating patients require knowledge of the probability and value of outcomes. Decision analysis illustrates how probabilities and values help define one another, and each are important. Whereas initial probability estimates can be obtained by 'searching for the best evidence', values belong to individuals. Obtaining values from patients or parents is sometimes difficult and requires a respectful, thoughtful, systematic approach, but only after doing this is neonatal care evidence-based.