Evidence-based medicine (EBM) has been described as the “conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients”. It involves the integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values. Evidence-based laboratory medicine (EBLM) focuses on the evaluation and use of laboratory tests to improve patient outcomes. It assists clinical management by integrating the best available research evidence for the use of laboratory investigations with the physician’s clinical expertise and the needs, expectations and concerns of patients. This leads to improved care and outcomes of individual patients and the effective use of healthcare resources.

The steps involved in EBM are acquiring and appraising the evidence and then making this available as protocols and guidelines. A major challenge is the vast information overload and where to obtain this evidence. The traditional evidence pyramid has weaker study designs at bottom, randomised control trials above and systematic reviews and meta-analyses at the very top. Validity increases and risk of bias decreases towards top of the pyramid. Critics have suggested that this is possibly too simplistic and depending on methodological limitations of the study, imprecision and inconsistency, evidence may be rated up or down. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses should be rather be used as a lens through which other studies are appraised.

This webinar will give an overview of how evidence is obtained for EBLM, discuss the most relevant guidelines followed when planning a systematic review and also briefly discuss the steps in planning a systematic review or meta-analysis.

This webinar comprises of three following presentations of 20 min each followed by 20 min of panel discussion at the end.

Chair: Prof. Annalise Zemlin

Talk 1- "Introduction to EBLM and how do we obtain the evidence?"  Prof. Andrew Don-Wauchope

Talk 2- "Synthesis of Accepted Evidence?" Dr. Rami Khalil

Talk 3- "Should guidelines refer to Systematic Review or Meta-analysis?" Prof. Seema Bhargava

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