Glossary

Evidence-based CME (EB CME) is CME clinical content that is based on the best available evidence and that includes specific practice recommendations based on evidence that has been systematically reviewed by an EBM source. To be eligible for EB CME credit, the content must cite both the source of the information and the level of strength of the evidence for each practice recommendation made.

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) integrates the current best research evidence with physicians' clinical expertise and patients' values.

Practice recommendations are statements supported by evidence that guide physicians in making choices about specific practice behaviors.

To be eligible for EB CME credit, a CME activity must include one to three practice recommendations per topic. Each recommendation must be consistent with the results of a systematic review of evidence conducted by an EBM source. It should be written as affirmatively as the supporting evidence allows. Practice recommendations that use conditional language (e.g., could, should, might, etc.) are acceptable as long as they are consistent with the conclusions of the systematic review from an EBM source. Finally, the practice recommendations must be consistent with the clinical content of the CME activity. They should constitute the main point(s) of the content and not be peripheral to the content.

Faculty should search EBM sources for evidence before developing practice recommendations. Evidence should drive content. "Retrofitting" evidence to pre-existing content poses great challenges in the development of EB CME and is discouraged. Expert opinion must give way to evidence when expert opinion and evidence are not in agreement.

Strength of evidence is a narrative and/or grade with explanation that is provided by the EBM source. When completing the Faculty Documentation form, faculty should use the strength of evidence description provided by the EBM source. If such a description is not available, faculty must write a description of the strength of evidence or determine the strength of evidence using the Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy (SORT).

A systematic review is one in which all the trials on a topic have been systematically identified, appraised and summarized according to predetermined criteria.