Christopher Allen Silagy AO - 14 September 1960 – 13 December 2001 - was an advocate of evidence-based medicine and an evaluator of health care programs. He was Professor of Public Health and Foundation Director of the Monash Institute of Health Services Research at Monash Medical School and he was also founder of the Australasian Cochrane Centre.

In the Royal Society of Medicine Journal review of the first edition of this book, David Seamark wrote: “Evidence-based medicine provokes reactions from enthusiasm to loathing. Silagy and Haines’ well laid out book seeks to reconcile the two extremes by explaining why evidence-based medicine is relevant to daily practice in primary care and by asking primary care professionals to regard themselves as learners and not just practitioners.”

• Contributors. Preface to the second edition.Getting started: how to set priorities and define questions.Tracking down the evidence.Critical appraisal.Applying the evidence with patients.Screening and diagnostic tests.Evaluating the application of evidence.An overview of strategies to promote implementation of evidence based health care.Clinical practice guidelines.Role of information technology.Continuing medical education as a means of lifelong learning.Integrating research evidence into practice.Appendix 1: Using MEDLINE to search for evidence.Appendix 2: Some further sources of information and resources that facilitate evidence-based practice.Index