Evidence Based Medicine

Currently, the most reliable source of evidence to justify medical treatment is the opinion of medical experts. A consensus is building that evidence from randomized clinical trials and prospective controlled studies (as published in peer-reviewed, scientific literature) should be the foundation for treatment decisions made by physicians, in conjunction with clinical expertise and judgement.

The AAO-HNS supports and endorses EBM when it includes all of these essential components:

Clinical expertise
Best available external evidence
Individual patient preference

The balance of evidence supplied by these components may shift as data accumulates and our knowledge grows, but a current absence of data should not be equated with absence of effectiveness

Adopted 01/15/02

Guidelines are not a substitute for the experience and judgment of a physician and are developed to enhance the physicians' ability to practice evidence-based medicine.

Important Notice

The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Inc. and Foundation (AAO-HNS/F) Policy Statements are guidelines only. In no sense do they represent a standard of care. The applicability of an indicator for a procedure, and/or of the process or outcome criteria, must be determined by the responsible physician in light of all the circumstances presented by the individual patient. Adherence to these guidelines will not ensure successful treatment in every situation. The AAO-HNS emphasizes that these policies should not be deemed inclusive of all proper treatment decisions or methods of care, nor exclusive of other treatment decisions or methods of care reasonably directed to obtaining the same results.