I Live in the Real World. My Patients Do Too

摘要

The term “evidence-based practice” is supposed to mean the use of the best available evidence when making patient care decisions. Typically, however, this “best evidence” is obtained from randomized controlled trials (RCTs), the patients are recruited from a homogenous group, and the data are closely controlled and monitored. Evidence gathered in such a research setting does not reflect real-world clinical practice. That is where more pragmatic real-world evidence (RWE) studies come in. If the results of RCTs represent what is possible, RWE represents what is probable, and don’t we want to rely more heavily on evidence of the probable?