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Benefits & Pitfalls of Evidence-Based Model in Health & Healthcare
Evidence-based model or practice in the health and healthcare systems refers to carrying out research in an effort to get information that seeks to prove a certain fact or make a conclusion about an issue. In health and healthcare, evidence-based practice involves “integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and the clients’ value and circumstances” (Hoffman, Bennett & Mar, 2010). With information from several sources, clinicians can be in a position to identify the patient’s problem and lay a base for applying the best available care and intervention as well as provide new methods applicable in combating the particular problem in future.
Evidence-based models seek to provide professionals with knowledge about a particular problem in the patient, or gathering of information through research in order to make decisions in the future (Aveyard & Sharp, 2009). This is opposed from the previous practices where professionals depended on their expertise and experience in making conclusions about clients (Greenhalgh, 1999). Evidence-based models require proof of certain issues through acquiring of evidence to back it up, rather than making a conclusion based on one’s knowledge that at times may be wrong. Evidence-based practice in health and healthcare plays an important role in providing the clients with the best care and treatment, meant to produce the best outcomes (Hoffman, Bennett & Mar, 2010). It has been implemented in many healthcare facilities. However, it still faces pitfalls despite having many benefits.
The evidence-based model aims to promote inquiries in the health and healthcare systems to ensure that decisions are made on an informed basis as opposed to non-informed decisions done in the traditional way (Greenhalgh, 1999). There have been several debates concerning the topic with many citing that such a research may take time and relies heavily on quantitative methods, while others have highlighted limitations involved in using research for evidence provision on which the practiced is based.
One context of evidence-based models is that of educating students or professions in finding out the information they need through researching. Previously or before this model, medical students learned from their lecturers everything they were supposed to do in their practice, while the truth is that things are changing rapidly hence new ways of approaching problems are needed. With the traditional way, when practitioners encountered a new problem, it was difficult to handle it as there was little research taken regularly (Hoffman, Bennett & Mar, 2010).
The evidence-based model generally has five steps that allow clinicians to come up with the best decision. The first step is identifying the information required from the research. As clinicians, the need for conducting research should be to get information concerning a certain area of interest. Such information needs include the need to find out whether diagnosis is correct. The second step is seeking evidence to answer the questions raised, where one should use credible sources for evidence, such as research done previously. The third step of an evidence-based model is looking at the evidence critically to affirm its credibility and quality as well as its application. This is important considering that not all research is accurate.
The fourth step involves incorporating the evidence together with the expertise of clinicians, circumstances surrounding the patient, as well as values and knowledge of the clinicians to come up with the best interpretation of the results (Hoffman, Bennett & Mar, 2010). The final step involves conducting an evaluation on the effectiveness as well as efficiency of the first four steps. One needs to evaluate how they carried out the research in order to come up with a better way of doing it in the future (Hoffman, Bennett & Mar, 2010).
Evidence-based models involve making informed decisions and having evidence to prove that they are the right decisions to make. It involves collecting information from scientific researches done previously to get the best outcome for the clients as well as ensure that in future, it can be used for related cases. Evidence-based models bring together clinical skills that have been used previously and those that an individual clinician holds, ensuring that there is proof of credibility of the decision taken. They also provide a means by which measurement can be done to assess whether the decision made fits the particular case and to provide certainty.
They are designed to improve efficiency of practices through ensuring that the best means of solving a problem are utilized. Evidence-based models ensure that there are no errors in the practice of healthcare as problems are solved after thorough research concerning the problem is done (Edwards & Elwyn, 2009). This way, clinicians reduce the errors made in diagnosing and providing solutions. They also ensure that the best prescription and care is given because clinicians will know what the client requires after comprehensive research, and the best way of providing the needs to the client depending on their circumstances (Dopson & Fitzgerald, 2006)
Another benefit of evidence-based models is providing a solution that can be used in the future and coming up with new ways of solving problems and eliminating methods used previously that pose risks or no longer function well. For instance, if research happens to find that certain drugs pose another side effect that might be harmful to patients, the drugs can be eliminated. Without such evidence, the patient using the drugs would be at a risk. Hence, carrying out research regularly during clinical practices would encourage finding newer and better ways of dealing with certain situations. This further ensures the safety of patients by ensuring the right decisions and services are provided by research teams or agencies. Often, the research used by clinicians in making their decisions is conducted by approved groups of researchers and agencies that are well equipped with the facilities needed and are well-experienced professionals (Aveyard & Sharp, 2009).
There are several debates revolving around the use of evidence-based models where several people and reviewers have criticized their use. The first debate concerns the time taken to conduct the research. While many appreciate that research is important both now and in the future in providing the best outcome for the patients, there is also the concern for time taken as there could be delayed treatment. Many critics feel that time taken for research, such as having to consult previous researches, may cause delayed treatment, which could be harmful to the patient. Before the research or the steps mentioned previously are taken, a patient would have to wait in suffering for long before getting the treatment that the clinicians deem accurate.
Another limitation of evidence-based models in healthcare is that research will not always give an answer to every question. These methods make clinicians more reliable on research and make them forget that their expertise is required to make decisions too, since not all evidence might provide a good basis for making decisions. Over-reliance on research from several sources could also prove to be confusing and one’s knowledge and skills could be challenged leaving clinicians in a difficult position.
Evidence-based care does not allow clinicians to practice their skills without having to consult elsewhere for evidence; hence, they might lack confidence when faced by situations that require immediate intervention. Because evidence-based models advocate for using protocols in making decisions, clinicians may not be in position to treat each patient on a personal level, considering that the research done views all patients as the same or interchangeable in a generalized manner. This sees professionals unable to make decisions without researching and therefore lack an opportunity to develop their skills.
In addition, the debate on costs also arises, where many critics feel that it involves numerous costs especially in consultation of previously conducted research and carrying out new research (Aveyard & Sharp, 2009). Indeed, research is often involved with huge costs where several resources are needed to see the project through such stages as testing its applicability, effectiveness and credibility. Moreover, not all clinicians can be in a position to carry out comprehensive research that can come up with a conclusion and more importantly, solution, and most have to rely on previous research done by others. This research might not fit everybody hence there could be problems arising due to making of decisions using the same. Hence, cost involved might not be worth the effort considering that using clinical skills without having to consult or search for evidence can be time and cost saving (Edwards & Elwyn, 2009).
Despite the advantages of evidence-based models in providing improved quality and efficiency in health care, there are many disadvantages cited by the opposing side, which may not always be true considering that not many clinicians have put the models into practice. Evidence-based practices have faced a number of issues in implementation such as complexity of healthcare systems, requiring strategies that can address this issue. The implementation also needs to take into account the practitioners at an individual level as well as change in the culture of healthcare systems.
In conclusion, evidence-based models are good in terms of offering the best quality care in health considering they rely on research for making decisions. Therefore decisions made are the most accurate ones as a conclusion is drawn from several information sources that assert what is best. It involves integrating research, clinical expertise, values and circumstances of the patients hence it ensures the clients get the treatment that they deserve using the best knowledge available from research.
References
Aveyard, H & Sharp, P (2009), A beginner’s guide to evidence based practice in health and social care, Berkshire, Open University Press.
Dopson, S., and Fitzgerald, L (2006), Knowledge to Action? Evidence-based health care in context, Oxford University Press.
Edwards, A &Elwyn, G (2009), shared decision making in health care: Achieving evidence-based patient choice (2nd ed),Oxford, Oxford University Press
Greenhalgh, T (1999), ‘Narrative based medicine in an evidence based world’, British Medical Journal, vol. 318, pp. 323-325.
Hoffman, T, Bennett, S & Del Mar, C (2010), evidence based practice across the health professions, Chatswood NSW, Churchill Livingston.
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