"Evidence-based medicine" and "Evidence-based practice" have had a significant influence on health services around the world since the 1990s, and the paradigm has had profound consequences for both clinical practice, research and decision-making. The aim of evidence-based practice is to bridge the gap between research and decision making and letting each decision be based on the best available knowledge, professional knowledge and the needs and values of the patient/user. This idea has its roots and is mostly developed in medicine, but has obvious significance also for public health.
But what does it mean to apply the evidence paradigm in the field of public health? While patients are treated individually in medicine, public health research often suggest collective interventions in living conditions such as access to food, education or decent working conditions. These features of public health interventions of course require other methods than in medicine to collect and assess evidence.
After completion of the course the student should be able to: describe the main content in the philosophy of "evidence based decision-making"; and be able to explain how "best available evidence" varies according to the context.
Teaching methods are mixed; lectures, seminars, group-discussions and home assignments. The course is given in English.
