Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)

Description:

Evidence-based practice is a generic term that was originally founded in the field of medicine and is applicable for all cadres of healthcare professionals, such as nurses, midwives, and doctors. It is universally defined as “the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of the individual patient”. EBP is an interdisciplinary approach to decision-making during clinical practice that is a combination of the best available evidence, the context of care, patient values and preferences, and professional judgement of the healthcare provider. Thus, the over-arching principles in EBP are:

  • integration of the best available evidence generated by quality research;
  • clinical evidence and expertise;
  • patient values and preferences; and
  • relevant contextual knowledge, which includes available resources and acknowledges potential resource barriers and enablers within the context of care.

Following EBP in clinical practice results in provision of high-quality care and better health outcomes, and is especially true when it is an integral part of an organisational culture. 1 However, increasingly, it has been found that evidence is not always the determining factor influencing decision making while providing care. The lack of time, resources, traditional methods, personal beliefs, support, motivation and resistance to change seem to be crucial barriers to EBP. 2 Aastrika Foundation has developed a training programme to introduce healthcare providers understand the concept of EBP, and how it can be used in decision making while providing care, both as an overall approach as well as for specific focus areas such as episiotomy, vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC), etc.

Target Audience:

ANMs, GNMs, Staff Nurses, Doctors and Students.

Methodologies Employed:

Didactic presentation, simulation, case studies, treasure hunt, critiquing research papers.

Training Outcome:

  1. Increases critical thinking, professional autonomy and confidence in decision-making.
  2. Fosters shared decision-making with mothers.
  3. Promotes high-quality care and positive health outcomes, as decision-making is determined by research-backed protocols.
  4. Reduces healthcare costs and legal hassles for the facility, as there is increased patient safety.

Duration:

6 to 7 hours

Trainer-Trainee Ratio:

1:4 to 1:8

 

  1. World Health Organization. Facilitating evidence-based practice in nursing and midwifery in the WHO European Region. 2017. Available at: https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/353672/WHO-EURO-2017-5314-45078-64291-eng.pdf . Accessed on 23 Dec 2024.[↩]
  2. Pitsillidou M, Noula M, Roupa Z, Farmakas A. Barriers to the Adoption of Evidence Based Practice in Nursing: a Focus Group Study. Acta Inform Med. 2023;31(4):306-311. doi: 10.5455/aim.2023.31.306-311. PMID: 38379685; PMCID: PMC10875937.[↩]