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History of Evidence-Based Surgery (EBS)

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Evidence-Based Surgery

Abstract

Before the introduction of Evidence-Based Surgery (EBS) and its predecessor, Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) , the art and knowledge of surgery was passed from teacher to student. A paradigm shift occurred in the 1980s and 90s when the “experiential” nature of the development of surgery in a hierarchical environment was supplanted by evidentiary rules. The EBS Movement, following the footsteps of EBM, was introduced to ensure that patients were, in fact, treated with the best available treatment , based on evidence . In this chapter, readers are introduced to a brief history of the paradigm shift of valuing evidence over authority. They will also learn about the five pillars of decision-making in practising EBS. The importance of research and EBS is highlighted in this chapter by outlining surgical training programs that have introduced EBM and EBS in their educational curricula. Finally, we highlight research guidelines and initiatives such as OMERACT, GRADE, Cochrane Collaboration, COSMIN, and EQUATOR that have been designed to improve the methodological quality and reporting of clinical research.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Achilles Thoma & Jessica Murphy

  2. Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Achilles Thoma, Sheila Sprague & Charles H. Goldsmith

  3. Department of Surgery, Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Sheila Sprague

  4. Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada

    Charles H. Goldsmith

  5. Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Charles H. Goldsmith

Authors
  1. Achilles Thoma
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  2. Jessica Murphy
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  3. Sheila Sprague
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  4. Charles H. Goldsmith
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Achilles Thoma .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact (HEI), McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Achilles Thoma

  2. Department of Surgery, Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact (HEI), McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Sheila Sprague

  3. Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Sophocles H. Voineskos

  4. Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact (HEI), McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Charles H. Goldsmith

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Thoma, A., Murphy, J., Sprague, S., Goldsmith, C.H. (2019). History of Evidence-Based Surgery (EBS). In: Thoma, A., Sprague, S., Voineskos, S., Goldsmith, C. (eds) Evidence-Based Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05120-4_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05120-4_1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-05119-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-05120-4

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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