Recently, there has been a significant and healthy shift to establish
the effectiveness of clinical practice, widely referred to as
"evidence-based medicine." This book fills a major gap in the practice
literature for healthcare professionals engaged in providing
psychosocial care for their patients suffering from chronic pain or
illness. Oxford University, a leader in evidence-based medicine, now has
a master's program in evidence-based social work, the only one of its
kind. Much of the practice of medicine is evidence based; however, much
of the psychosocial care provided to patients is not. This is not due to
the absence of such evidence; rather, practice has traditionally relied
on clinical evidence, common sense, and practitioner "wisdom." However,
given the demand for results from governments, from insurance companies,
and, most importantly, from patients, psychosocial care must move in the
direction of evidence-based practice, for which a great deal of research
is available.
This book will (1) provide empirically derived support and understanding
of psychosocial problems encountered by patients and (2) explore the
efficacy of the interventions available for patient care. Chapter 1 will
take a historical view of the development of evidence-based practice in
medicine and psychology. Chapter 2 will examine the concept of
empirically supported evidence, ie, the extent to which the impact of
psychosocial problems on health has been measured. The remaining eight
chapters will explore a range of psychosocial issues through case
illustration and examine both the problems and their management from an
evidence-based approach. This book is a departure from reports on
evidence-based practice to the extent that the empirical bases of the
problems reported, and not just their treatment, are subjected to
scrutiny.
