Making Evidence-based Health Care Relevant for Patients

Evidence-based health care provides clinicians with the scientific data necessary to provide high-quality care to patients with specific diseases, while pay-for-performance initiatives reward clinicians for adhering to performance guidelines in managing these diseases. Although these guidelines provide the best treatment for a given disease, they don't necessarily determine the optimal treatment for individuals because they don't address patients with comorbidities, nor do they consider patient preferences. In order to improve outcomes, clinicians and patients should collaborate to formulate a treatment plan that incorporates both evidence-based data and patient preferences within the context of each patient's specific clinical situation.