Why Choose Evidence-based Practice?
“Evidence-based practice is key to achieving the quadruple aim in health care.” — Bernadette Melnyk, PhD, RN, APRN-CNP, FNAP, FAANP, FAAN, AANP member since 2012.
Evidence-based practice (EBP) is defined by Duke University Medical Center as "the integration of clinical expertise, patient values and the best research evidence into the decision-making process for patient care."
EBP strategies allow nurse practitioners (NPs) and other health care providers to translate research findings into clinical practice. With efficient literature-searching skills and the application of formal rules of evidence in evaluating research findings, providers can apply existing scientific knowledge in their clinical practice for each individual patient.
“The Institute for Healthcare Improvement said we should target the triple aim in health care: improving the patient experience, improving population health outcomes and decreasing health care costs,” says Dr. Melnyk. “Some years after the triple aim goal came out, a fourth aim was added: improving the work life of clinicians and their well-being. EBP is the secret sauce to enable us to get to that quadruple aim.”
In a time when NPs and many other providers experience symptoms of burn out, EBP can be empowering. While it may require a different skillset, research has shown that when providers deliver evidence-based care, patient outcomes are markedly improved. For example, in a 2020 Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (JAANP) article, a free clinic launched a quality improvement project to increase influenza vaccination rates and found that evidence-based interventions led to a 597% increase.
Unfortunately, even when health care providers hold positive opinions about EBP, many do not actively implement EBP strategies due to a lack of time, lack of leadership buy-in and investment or lack of understanding.
“We conducted a study of 276 chief nurse executives from across the U.S. and found that, although they believe in value of EBP, they didn’t invest in it for their clinicians. Although they identified quality and safety as key priorities, EBP was at the bottom,” says Dr. Melnyk.
“This tells us they don’t understand EBP is the direct pathway to getting to health care quality and safety. EBP is all about using the best evidence to make the best clinical decisions to achieve the best clinical outcomes.”
Additional EBP Resources
- Foundations of Evidence-based Practice in Health Care: Learn the seven steps of the EBP process from renowned experts in the field. This free, massive open online course (MOOC) will guide you through current trends, provide strategies to overcome barriers and help you create system change in your practice setting.
- The Helene Fuld Health Trust National Institute for Evidence-based Practice in Nursing and Healthcare: Gain online learning and research from this national hub for all things EBP, including free webinars, EBP Competencies and publications. An EBP Certificate and other programs are also available.
EBP Resources From AANP
- JAANP EBP Article Series: Read a four-part series published in JAANP for an introductory overview to the EBP process, including relevance to clinical practice, the search for evidence, the critical appraisal process and integration into practice.
- AANP Clinical Practice Briefs: Developed by the AANP Practice Committee, these members-only briefs share evidence-based guidelines from leading organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Quality Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), among others.