Oxford Handbook of Key Clinical Evidence

The Oxford Handbook of Key Clinical Evidence provides an alternative to the burgeoning repositories of trial data for students, trainees and researchers looking for the key evidence affecting medical practice. Recognising the growing importance of evidence-based medicine (EBM) to both the study and practice of medicine and surgery, the editors have aimed to provide a quick-reference text that presents the key data, facts, and evidence informing medical and surgical practice. Introductory chapters give the 'uninitiated' reader a firm footing in the history of EBM and its current importance within medical science. Readers are introduced to the statistical methods and tools needed to critically analyse trial data, providing a key for the terms and statistical methods encountered in the book and within clinical research as a whole. Leading figures in the major specialties have selected and summarised the most important modern trials, creating a two-page format for each study which distils the key information. Highlighted boxes identify the study type and evidence-level attained, while analysis of the key message and impacts of the trial firmly place the evidence into a practical setting for the reader. Key study features and results are examined, while the difficulties or problems associated with the trials are outlined. This is essential reading for everyone with an interest in the fundamental evidence underpinning modern practice. Each chapter is well laid-out, the summaries are easy to read and the take-home message and statistics are highlighted...This book should become a valuable tool for medical students and junior doctors alike. Oxford Medical School Gazette