What care should be covered?

Evidence-based medicine as viewed by key decision-makers of health plans in southern Brazil

Evidence-based Medicine (EBM) is a tool that is becoming increasingly important for management in the health-care system, particularly in managed care. However, there are several doubts over how health plan managers address this issue. This study was designed to verify the current status of EBM in health plans as viewed by their key administrative decision-makers in southern Brazil. We present and discuss participants' agreement to predefined statements about: their level of knowledge on EBM, practitioners' and consumers' behaviour regarding EBM, potential effects for health-care plans by implementing EBM, and attitudes and interest of health-care plans toward evidence-based guidelines. We conclude that there is a need to establish educational efforts oriented to health-care plan managers regarding EBM, considering its good acceptance by managers and an expectation that EBM can help solve several dilemmas faced by health-care plans in southern Brazil.