====== 📋 Current Practice ======

**Current practice** refers to the **standard procedures, protocols, or approaches** commonly used in clinical care, diagnosis, or treatment **at a given time**, based on prevailing guidelines, evidence, and expert consensus.

===== 🧠 Key Characteristics =====
  * Reflects the **established norms** within a medical specialty.
  * Often based on **clinical guidelines**, **systematic reviews**, and **consensus statements**.
  * May vary by **region**, **institution**, or **resource availability**.
  * Evolves over time as new **evidence** or **technologies** emerge.

===== 📌 Examples =====
| Field             | Current Practice                                  |
|------------------|---------------------------------------------------|
| Neuroradiology    | Use of contrast-enhanced T1 MRI for DVA detection |
| Infectious disease | Antibiotic stewardship and narrow-spectrum use   |
| Surgery           | Minimally invasive techniques when feasible       |

===== ⚖️ Role in Research =====
  * Serves as the **baseline** for evaluating new interventions.
  * Helps determine whether a study’s findings are **clinically impactful**.
  * Research that merely confirms current practice may be seen as **low value** unless it improves safety, cost, or implementation.

===== ✅ Best Practice =====
  * Clearly state the **current standard** when proposing alternatives.
  * Compare new methods or tools **against current practice**, not against outdated or unrealistic controls.