Understanding the Difference Between Evidence Informed and Evidence Based Practice
As professionals in any field, it is essential to make informed decisions that are backed by facts and research. In healthcare, evidence-based practice has become the norm when making patient care decisions. However, in recent years, healthcare professionals have shifted towards evidence informed practice. Despite their similarities, there are differences between the two approaches that practitioners need to understand.
What is Evidence-Based Practice?
Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) refers to the practice of making clinical decisions based on the best available evidence. This approach began in the early 1990s when evidence-based medicine became a popular concept among physicians. In EBP, practitioners base their clinical reasoning on critically appraised and meticulously measured evidence obtained from high-quality research studies, clinical trials, guidelines, and systematic reviews.
What is Evidence-Informed Practice?
Evidence-Informed Practice (EIP) is a newer concept that has emerged in the healthcare field. Unlike EBP, this approach does not rely solely on high-level evidence. EIP is a broader approach that encourages practitioners to use a range of sources when making clinical decisions. EIP allows for using other types of information sources, such as clinical experience, patient preferences, values, and circumstances, to support clinical reasoning.
The Differences Between EBP and EIP
While EBP and EIP share similarities in advocating for the use of evidence in clinical decision-making, it is important to understand the differences between the two approaches.
EBP relies solely on the most robust and valid scientific evidence, primarily obtained through randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or meta-analyses. Practitioners using EBP typically search only for high-level evidence-based solutions to their patient’s problems. Meanwhile, EIP acknowledges that clinical practice consists of individual patient situations that require unique solutions. This understanding requires practitioners to seek a range of evidence to support their patient care decisions.
Another difference between EBP and EIP is the role that clinical experience plays in each approach. EBP gives less attention to the clinician’s experience and the patient’s unique circumstances but focuses more on objective evidence. EIP, on the other hand, encourages practitioners to use their clinical experience and patient context to guide their clinical decision-making in conjunction with high-quality evidence.
The Benefits of Evidence-Informed Practice
EIP offers several benefits for both patients and healthcare practitioners. Firstly, it acknowledges the importance of the patient as an individual and the need to tailor healthcare interventions to their needs. EIP also permits the use of various forms of evidence to support clinical decision-making. This approach enhances practitioners’ abilities to find the best-fit solution for each patient’s unique situation, taking into consideration clinical experience, patient preferences, and values.
Secondly, EIP encourages healthcare practitioners to embrace a culture of ongoing learning and reflective practice. The healthcare field is continuously evolving, and practitioners must stay abreast of new information and developments to provide the best care to their patients. EIP cultivates a need to constantly learn and inform clinical decision-making with a wider range of resources and perspectives.
In Conclusion
While EBP has been the traditional approach to clinical decision-making in healthcare, EIP is emerging as a valuable alternative. Evidence Informed Practice is a more contemporary and flexible approach that promotes an individualized and patient-centered healthcare system. It enables healthcare practitioners to make informed decisions that are backed up by evidence and that are responsive to each patient’s unique circumstances, values, and preferences. Combining both EBP and EIP provides a more comprehensive framework for clinical decision-making.
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