cqvip:The use of so called evidence based medicine represents a structured way in which to critically assess the medical literature with the g oal of defining the value of different therapeutic interventions and, ultimately , improving both physician decision making and patient outcome. This is not a c onsen sus based process of the type that has often been employed previously in the development of treatment guidelines. Rather, these assessments involve a se ries of structured steps. Initially, the specific clinical questions to be answe red are defined and the evidence is assembled following a structured literature search. Then, the individual studies are classified as to the quality of the evi dence provided, and, finally, using a set of pre specified rules, this evidence is translated into specific recommendations and conclusions. In this manner, ev idence based medicine can be a very powerful tool for practicing physicians and , consequently, it is important that they become familiar with the fundamentals of this analytical approach. It is the purpose of this manuscript, therefore, to provide an overview of this process using examples from two recently completed assessments on disease modifying therapies in multiple sclerosis.
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