The 5-Step Process: Introduction
Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) is a thoughtful integration of the best available evidence, coupled with clinical expertise. As such it enables health practitioners of all varieties to address healthcare questions with an evaluative and qualitative approach. EBP allows the practitioner to assess current and past research, clinical guidelines, and other information resources in order to identify relevant literature while differentiating between high-quality and low-quality findings. The practice of Evidence-Based Practice includes five fundamental steps.
Step 1: Formulating a well-built question.
Step 2: Identifying articles and other evidence-based resources that answer the question.
Step 3: Critically appraising the evidence to assess its validity.
Step 4: Applying the evidence.
Step 5: Re-evaluating the application of evidence and areas for improvement.
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