The evidence-Based primary care handbook

Here at last is a realistic and practical book that shows how evidence-based practice can be successfully applied in a primary care setting. The first section provides an introduction to the principles of evidence-based health care as they apply to primary care, and many other books on this subject stop right there. However, Section 3 practices what this first section preaches, by applying these tools to 15 common clinical problems in primary care, such as sore throat, asthma, urinary tract infections, low back pain and heart failure. In between, Section 2 focuses on topics of particular relevance to planners and to Primary Care Groups (PCGs), and includes chapters on commissioning, prescribing issues and health economics. The authors are all familiar with primary care as clinicians and/or researchers, and understand the reality of practicing evidence-based medicine in primary care - for example, how to cope in the absence of "best evidence", or how to search for evidence when time is very limited. GPs, primary care nurses, PCG managers, practice managers, community pharmacists and all other members of the primary health care team will find this book challenging, informative and relevant.