Abstract
Evidence-based medicine (EBM) has been advocated since 1990' to obtain best outcome in clinical practice based on the results of previous works. Since the purpose of EBM is similar to that of critical paths, the best places to practice EBM are believed to be the critical paths. When evaluating the results of clinical trials, we must consider the systematic errors, so called ‘bias’. The most ideal research design to avoid bias is a randomized controlled trial (RCT). In this review, I demonstrate how to search RCT papers using an internet search engine ‘PubMed’ and some results on postoperative care. Incorporating the evidence into critical paths will improve the quality of care.
