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Title: The philosophy of evidence-based principles and practice in nutrition

Author
item JOHNSTON, B - Dalhousie University
item SEIVENPIPER, J - University Of Toronto
item VERNOOIJ, R - Dalhousie University
item DE SOUZA, R - University Of Toronto
item JENKINS, D - University Of Toronto
item ZERAATKAR, DENA - McMaster University
item Bier, Dennis
item GUYATT, G - McMaster University

Submitted to: Mayo Clinic Proceedings
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/27/2019
Publication Date: 5/27/2019
Citation: Johnston, B.C., Seivenpiper, J.L., Vernooij, R.W., De Souza, R.J., Jenkins, D.J., Zeraatkar, D., Bier, D.M., Guyatt, G.H. 2019. The philosophy of evidence-based principles and practice in nutrition. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 3(2):189-199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2019.02.005.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2019.02.005

Interpretive Summary: _

Technical Abstract: The practice of evidence-based nutrition involves using the best available nutrition evidence, together with clinical experience, to conscientiously work with patients' values and preferences to help them prevent (sometimes), resolve (sometimes), or cope with (often) problems related to their physical, mental, and social health. This article outlines the 3 fundamental principles of evidence-based practice as applied to the field of clinical nutrition. First, optimal clinical decision making requires awareness of the best available evidence, which ideally will come from unbiased systematic summaries of that evidence. Second, evidence-based nutrition provides guidance on how to decide which evidence is more or less trustworthy-that is, how certain can we be of our patients' prognosis, diagnosis, or of our therapeutic options? Third, evidence alone is never sufficient to make a clinical decision. Decision makers must always trade off the benefits with the risks, burden, and costs associated with alternative management strategies, and, in so doing, consider their patients' unique predicament, including their values and preferences.