You've just given one of your key physicians what you thought was a clear and persuasive presentation using a new clinical reprint.

You are confident that the results of the study should influence this doctor to change his prescribing pattern. As you check for agreement, his only comment to you is, "Your company funded this study. I know it's biased and I'm not going to base my treatment decisions on what you've just presented." You struggle to tell him that it's a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, so it must be legitimate. He refuses to listen, and you walk away feeling disappointed and confused.

Does this scenario sound familiar? More and more physicians are questioning the results of the clinical studies that are presented to them by representatives. There are reasons for this behavior. Physicians are being trained in medical school and at conferences to be more critical of any research that is presented to them. This critical approach to medical literature is a result of the new practice paradigm in medicine called evidence-based medicine. Proponents of evidence-based medicine advocate basing clinical practice on a combination of available evidence and data from clinical studies, as well as patient values and preferences. Physicians are taught several key criteria to determine the validity of a study and its relevance to their clinical practice.