Essential Evidence: Medicine that Matters

ISBN: 9780470178904
ISBN-10: 0470178906
Copyright: 2007
Edition: 1st
Authors: Slawson, David, Shaughnessy, Allen, Ebell, Mark, Barry, Henry,
Doody's Expert Review    Score: 97
Reviewer: Vincent Carr,  DO, MSA, FACC, FACP  (Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences)
Description
This book answers specific clinical questions with the most pertinent answers after reviewing the available literature. What makes this different from other evidence-based books is the authors' "Patient-Oriented Evidence that Matters" (POEM). Their premise is that there is much medical evidence available, but they focus on the evidence that patients care about.
Purpose
The authors also make a cogent point that the best characteristic of medicine -- that knowledge continuously changes -- is also the worst. This book is an attempt to help to benefit patients by documenting the state of the current knowledge. Unique to this book is that the evidence covers a number of years, where other evidence-based medicine books are closer to updates covering what has been published lately. This is a significant difference, based upon the Patient Oriented Evidence that Matters concept. They have achieved their goal quite well.
Audience
The intended audience is the time-constrained practitioner. Because the book is in a question and answer format, it is not meant to be a comprehensive and one must page through the chapters of interest, see what the question is, and review the specific evidence upon which to make a recommendation. The authors have responded to the challenge quite well and clearly are familiar with the literature.
Features
Two chapters begin the book that put the evidence-based discussion into perspective, "Taking an Evidence-Based Approach" and "How to Become an Information Master." These are followed by one-page analyses of a clinical question and the pertinent study that answers the question. This is a very practical, concise approach that delivers the information quickly.
Assessment
A unique aspect of this book not noted in the Preface is that it provides an indirect look at emerging uses of technology. Two questions speak to the utility of MRI mammography, which has been portrayed in the lay media as an improvement over the standard radiographic mammogram. The authors answer these questions concisely, giving practitioners a reference to answer their patients' questions. This is a worthwhile purchase for every level of practitioner because of its completeness and conciseness.
Review Questionnaire
Range Question Score
1-10 Are the author's objectives met? 10
1-10 Rate the worthiness of those objectives. 10
1-5 Is this written at an appropriate level? 5
1-5 Is there significant duplication? (1=significant, 5=insignificant) 4
1-5 Are there significant omissions? (1=significant, 5=insignificant) 4
1-5 Rate the authority of the authors. 5
1-5 Are there sufficient illustrations? N/A
1-5 Rate the pedagogic value of the illustrations. N/A
1-5 Rate the print quality of the illustrations. N/A
1-5 Are there sufficient references? 5
1-5 Rate the currency of the references. 5
1-5 Rate the pertinence of the references. 5
1-5 Rate the helpfulness of the index. 5
1-5 If important in this specialty, rate the physical appearance of the book N/A
1-10 Is this a worthwhile contribution to the field? 10
1-10 If this is a 2nd or later edition, is this new edition needed? N/A