BACKGROUND
The publication rate of neurosurgical guidelines has increased tremendously over the past decade. However, only a small proportion of clinical decisions appears to be based on high-quality evidence.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the available evidence within neurosurgery and its value within clinical practice according to neurosurgeons.
METHODS
A web-based survey was sent to 2552 neurosurgeons, who were members of the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies.
RESULTS
The response rate to the survey was 7% (173 respondents). According to 49% of the respondents, neurosurgery is based on less evidence compared with other medical specialties, and not enough high-quality evidence is available on which to base clinical practice. However, 84% of the respondents believed neurosurgery is amenable to evidence. Of the respondents, 59% considered the neurosurgical guidelines in their hospital to be based on high-quality evidence. Responders that did consider the neurosurgical guidelines in their hospital to be based on high-quality evidence did consider their own treatments more often as based on Level I and/or Level II (84% resp. 55%) (P < .001). Also, neurosurgeons with formal training believed they could understand, criticize and interpret statistical outcomes presented in journals better than those without formal training (93% resp. 68%) (P < .001).
CONCLUSIONS
According to the respondents, neurosurgery is based less often on high-quality evidence than other medical specialties. When looking at the results of the survey, formal training in EBM is desirable, so neurosurgeons can better understand, criticize and interpret statistical outcomes presented in journals.