Using Knowledge and Evidence in Health Care

Book excerpt: At the clinical, management, and policy levels, the use of knowledge and evidence in health care has become a worldwide priority. The contributors to Using Knowledge and Evidence in Health Care seek to broaden our understanding of the complexity involved in health care decision-making by integrating social science knowledge and exploring some of the challenges and limits of evidence in different health care contexts. Louise Lemieux-Charles and François Champagne have brought together an esteemed group of scholars to provide a conceptual framework that illustrates the factors critical to analysing and optimizing the use of knowledge and evidence. Previous studies have focused primarily on the medical literature without acknowledging the social sciences tradition. With its integration of works from political science, public policy, informatics, and other disciplines, Using Knowledge and Evidence in Health Care provides a bridge between both worlds. By bringing together different views on the topic, the volume goes beyond strict disciplinary boundaries to provide the fullest exploration of knowledge and evidence in health care.