Getting a Better Grip on Research: The Maze of the Most Busy Life

Abstract

This is the fifth paper in a series of five describing the use of evidence to support decisions made in clinical practice. In the 21st century, health care clinicians, managers and patients expect to see the findings of research incorporated into clinical practice, taking into account the needs and wishes of individual patients. In the previous four papers in this series of five, we have examined why that happens—and often does not happen—and what clinicians and managers can do to improve the use of evidence in consultations. This, the final paper, is written as if from some point in the near future and uses a narrative approach to describe a clinician's progress on a journey to meet the real-world challenges of using evidence in practice.