Physical Therapy Assistant: Evidence Based Practice

Evidence-Based Practice Research Strategy

A research strategy is a plan of action that gives direction to your efforts, enabling you to conduct your research systematically. Evidence-based practice research consists of five steps. Librarians can help with selecting a searchable question, finding the best evidence and appraising the evidence:​

1. Ask a searchable clinical question​

2. Find the best evidence to answer the question​

3. Appraise the evidence​

4. Apply the evidence with clinical expertise, taking the patient's wants/needs into consideration​

5. Evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the process​

WHAT IS EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE?

The most common definition of EBP is taken from Dr. David Sackett, a pioneer in evidence-based practice. EBP is "the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of the individual patient. It means integrating individual clinical expertise with the best available external clinical evidence from systematicresearch." (Sackett D, 1996)

EBP is the integration of clinical expertise, patient values, and the best research evidence into the decision making process for patient care. Clinical expertise refers to the clinician's cumulated experience, education and clinical skills. The patient brings to the encounter his or her own personal and unique concerns, expectations, and values. The best evidence is usually found in clinically relevant research that has been conducted using sound methodology. (Sackett D, 2002)