{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.03821656050955414, 'fraction_numerical': 0.003639672429481347, 'mean_word_length': 5.358381502890174, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Evidence‐based medicine in transfusion medicine: an update

Clinical decisions concerning treating patients should, as much as possible, be evidence based. This is, to a great extent, the current clinical dogma, and many medical practitioners in all disciplines are now, to some extent, utilizing it [1]. Even lawyers at times cite evidence-based medicine (EBM) in malpractice litigations. EBM is generally defined as the conscientious, thoughtful, focused application of the best available evidence to the decision-making processes that affect patient care. This represents a radical departure from the usual and customary methods for making patient treatment decisions (e.g. experience, anecdotes, uncontrolled studies). EBM is now taught in virtually all US and Canadian medical schools and many others world wide and is practiced at most teaching hospitals (more so than in private practice) [2]. However, many formidable obstacles, objections and criticisms to EBM remain [3–6]. We reviewed the English literature of EBM and its application to the young discipline of transfusion medicine (TM).