Understanding the role of clinical evidence within healthcare

A new book written by Dr Gordon Taylor, Medical Statistician from our Department for Health, hopes to help healthcare professionals better understand and use clinical evidence and data sources.

As clinical evidence becomes increasingly important in healthcare it is vital that healthcare professionals can read, analyse and understand the data being presented.

This latest offering equips readers with the core skills and knowledge to make sense of the clinical evidence, without over-burdening them with information and jargon.

Dr Taylor explains: "'Clinical Evidence Made Easy' is an introduction for any healthcare professional looking to understand clinical data sources.

"It will give those working in healthcare the tools to understand the information available to them from clinical data sources, which can otherwise be hard to decipher."

Building on the success of the other 'Made Easy' books ('Medical Statistics Made Easy', 'Healthcare Economics Made Easy', 'Practice Accounts Made Easy'), this edition is for non-specialists who need
knowledge of the key tools and techniques so they can understand the clinical data.

With present-day journal articles reflecting ever-increasing complexity in research design, methods and analyses, the book will help readers to get the most from such papers.

Structured into two sections, 'Clinical Evidence Made Easy' provides the reader with the necessary skills underpinning evidence-based practice and provides tools for appraising different types of articles together with practical examples of their use.

'This is a great book for busy clinicians who want to learn how to deliver evidence-based practice and have at their fingertips the tools to make sense of the burgeoning research literature. Indeed it will also be valuable for those engaged in research, to aid the planning and delivery of their own projects', writes Professor Paul Ewings, Director of the Research Design Service South West in the foreword.