What is Evidence Based Medicine?

Certainly, it makes sense to choose clinically proven medications. We hear it more and more often but what does Evidence-Based Medicine really mean?

It is a relatively new term, having only been around since the early 1990’s, for the scientific classification of evidence.When we use the term “evidence-based” we are saying that this particular treatment has scientific studies that indicate the treatment is effective to some degree.

That is why at Moontides, we choose to use “Practitioner Only Products” whenever possible.

There are many types of scientific studies and each has a different way in which the evidence is collected. This is why some studies are deemed of greater scientific importance than others. In particular, ‘double-blind randomised control studies’ are generally accepted as the most advantageous due to the comparative evidence that can be drawn and the inability for researchers to bias the data collected.

The type of study used will depend on the factor being studied. For example, in Australia we have quite strict ethic controls about the types of studies that can be carried out and this can result in limited findings.

The most commonly used forms of research for gaining evidence.

Traditional / Historical - Traditional evidence is historical information about the efficacy of a treatment that has been passed down through generations. Traditional medicine, practiced around the world, forms the medical system that has been replaced by today’s evidence based model.

Clinical Trials- Clinical trials carried out on people are generally designed to test the effectiveness of a drug. However, it's becoming more popular for some types of therapies to also be tested.