In 2001, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences published Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century,1 which promoted evidence-based practice as a prerequisite to quality health care. Implementation of evidence-based practice guidelines has become an integral component of the national health care quality strategy mandated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, with the goal of providing affordable care that leads to healthier communities.
