What can I hope to accomplish or measure?
Finally, any decision between two choices rests on an outcome of interest.
A non-clinical example is solving a problem of choosing a car. If your desired outcome is economy, a fast, flashy sports car might be a terrible solution, whereas if your desired outcome is top speed, that sports car would be ideal.
Choosing a specific desired outcome is a key part of the personalisation that EBVM gives, allowing you to seek evidence, APPRAISE it, and act with a specific outcome or objective in mind that is directly tailored to your individual patient.
For instance, in the case of a geriatric cat with chronic renal disease, you may decide that your desired outcome will be quality of life rather than overall duration of survival.
| Question | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Which diet is best to feed cats with chronic renal disease? | Survival time |
| Which diagnostic test is most reliable for diagnosing fascioliasis in dairy cattle? | Better sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing fascioliasis |
| Does sex affect survival in flat-coat retrievers with cancer? | Average life expectancy |
| What are the risks of general anaesthesia in ferrets? | An increased risk of death |
| What is the prevalence of cardiac disorders in Welsh Section A mountain ponies? | Prevalence of cardiac disorders |
