Evidence-based Medicine (EBM) is feared to become a kind of cook-book medicine that has nothing to do with the traditional skills and ethics.

This volume shows the contribution EBM makes and might make to medical practice and health policy. It describes as many viewpoints as possible with a focus on the ethical issues that are at stake in this process.

It shows how EBM has developed from an internal medical issue to an instrument for health policy. It is the outcome of the European Project "Ethical Issues of Evidence Based Practice in Medicine and Health Care" and gives insight into the ethical background of the debate on the role of EBM in various areas of medicine, including clinical practice, medical education, medical research, health policy and medical sociology.

From the reviews:

"The editors of Evidence-based Practice in Medicine & Health Care have been able to gather a number of well known and respected authors to contribute to the field of EBM and health care … . The book comprises various viewpoints and approaches in the context of EBM and ethical principles, and the tension between science, law and medical responsibility. … the book can be highly recommended not only for clinicians, researchers and educators, but anybody involved in the field of evidence-based medicine and healthcare." (K. Boening, Journal of Public Health, Vol. 14, 2006)