Why do we need to plan how we search for information?
We need to have a plan due to the amount of research that's published globally everyday. The amount of research accessible online means that we need to think carefully about the information we need and assess the quality of what we find. This forms a key part of evidence-based practice. It's important to develop skills in effective literature searching and evaluation, to help you identify the right evidence, at the right time.
What is evidence-based practice?
Evidence-based practice (EBP) is key to clinical decision making. it combines research evidence with the expertise of the healthcare professional, taking into consideration the specific preferences of the individual patient. Evidence based practice ensures that decisions are informed by the best available evidence, leading to to better decision making and outcomes.
There are five key steps to Evidence based practice
1. Formulate an answerable question
2. Efficiently identify the best evidence with which to answer the question
3. Critically appraise the evidence for validity and clinical usefulness
4. Apply the results in clinical practice
5. Evaluate the performance of the evidence in practice