Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a framework for evaluating the quality of information used in making decisions about the clinical care of individual patients. The phase “evidence-based” originated in medicine approximately two decades ago, but the paradigm is relevant to all types of clinical practice in which decisions about individuals are made, including psychology, Speech–Language pathology, audiology, and education.

There are two guiding principles of evidence-based practice. First, clinical decisions should be grounded in scientific evidence that best meets formal standards with respect to validity, reliability, importance, and precision. Second, scientific evidence is a necessary but not a sufficient basis for making decisions about the care of individual patients; such evidence must always be considered in conjunction with the expertise of the clinician and the preferences of ...