In the early 1990s, a new concept was coined: 'evidence-based medicine' (EBM). After a remarkably short time, EBM was virtually all-pervasive in medicine and healthcare throughout the world. Even outside the domain of healthcare, the new concept became fashionable, for example in the shape of (pleas for) 'evidence-based management' and 'evidence-based policy'. In short, 'evidence-based' developed into one of the mantras of the current era.

This book uses history as a tool to gain insight into ...