Synthesizing Evidence from Narrative, Text and Opinion

Abstract

While most health professionals have embraced the concept of evidence-informed clinical decision-making, it is true to say that clinical questions are not always answered by systematic reviews of research evidence. This book explores different sources of knowledge for clinical decision-making. It is frequently the case that knowledge from different sources may be applicable (and/or available) to inform a particular procedure or intervention. In the absence of evidence derived from rigorous primary research studies, what are the options? And once this knowledge is identified, how can clinicians feel confident about it reliability and validity before utilizing it in their practice?