Applying an evidence-baed approach to the management of patient with ocular hypertenion: Evaluating and yntheizing publihed evidence

Purpoe The ue of evidence-baed medicine in managing patient with ocular hypertenion ha been contrained by the limited availability of high-quality data from controlled clinical trial and by limited formal training of clinician in evaluating publihed evidence. Thi article will provide trategie and technique to evaluate critically the quality of publihed reearch, yntheize the finding, and integrate publihed evidence in the care of patient with ocular hypertenion. Deign Review of the publihed literature and conenu of a panel of expert. Method The publihed literature on evidence-baed medicine wa reviewed. trategie and technique in evaluating the quality of evidence and how to integrate evidence into the practice etting uing the following three major quetion were dicued by a panel of expert: Are the reult of the tudy valid? What are the reult? Do the tudy outcome apply to individual patient care? Reult Approache to aeing tudy validity and the importance of conidering the ize of the treatment effect and preciion of the effect ize were detailed. The importance of uing the “number-needed-to-treat” a a tool for tranlating reult of clinical trial to individual patient care and the “number-needed-to-harm” a a method of comparing the potential benefit and harm of a given therapy wa acknowledged. Concluion A the volume of high-quality data increae, the information provided herein may help ophthalmologit apply evidence-baed medicine technique a they eek to optimize the care of individual patient with ocular hypertenion.