Evidence-based healthcare in context
Subtitle: critical social science perspectives
By: by Alex Broom and Jon Adams
Contributors: Adams, Jon, 1971-
Publisher: Ashgate Pub. Co.; Routledge
Published: 2011
Place of publication: Farnham, Surrey, UK; Burlington, VT
Language: eng
Number of pages: 216
ISBN-13: 9780754679813
Subjects: Evidence-based medicine; Social medicine
Other titles: Evidence based health care in context
Description: With new methods of treatment standardisation resulting in various benefits for patient outcomes, evidence-based medicine and evidence-based practice have emerged as defining features of western healthcare provision in recent years. Most health professions are now adopting some form of 'evidence-based' framework for clinical training and practice. However, the rise of evidence based healthcare has drawn sustained criticism regarding the limits of trial based evidence, the reductive character of epidemiological study designs, and the potential for an erosion of the importance of lay perspectives and clinical judgement. "Evidence Based Healthcare in Context" introduces readers to the social, cultural and historical underpinnings of 'evidence' in healthcare, critically examining questions about what constitutes 'evidence' and 'effectiveness' from perspectives outside medicine, including those of patients, complementary medicine and midwifery. It focuses on the application of contemporary theoretical debates around the nature of medical and health knowledge, providing readers with a series of critical analyses of the production, application and translation of 'evidence' in a range of healthcare contexts. Featuring cutting edge work from leading social scientists in the UK, US, Canada, Norway, Australia and New Zealand, this volume draws on the latest empirical research to provide a thorough critical overview of this important field of health research.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.