Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) - Quick Study Flashcards

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering key concepts from Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) lecture notes.

Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)

Integration of the best research evidence, clinical expertise, and patient values/context to guide clinical decisions.

Best research evidence

Highest quality research that informs practice (e.g., well-designed studies and credible findings).

Clinical expertise

The clinician’s skills, judgment, and experience used to interpret and apply evidence.

Patient values & context

Individual preferences, circumstances, and values that guide care decisions.

The 5 A’s of EBP

Ask, Acquire, Appraise, Apply, Assess — steps guiding evidence-based practice.

Ask

Formulate a clinical question (often using the PICO framework).

Acquire

Search for relevant evidence in databases and grey literature.

Appraise

Critically evaluate the quality and relevance of the evidence.

Apply

Implement findings in practice with input from the client.

Assess

Evaluate outcomes and the process of using the evidence in care.

PICO Framework

A structure for clinical questions: P = Patient/Problem, I = Intervention, C = Comparison, O = Outcome.

P (Patient/Problem)

The patient group or problem addressed by the question.

I (Intervention)

The treatment, exposure, or action being considered.

C (Comparison)

The alternative to the intervention (e.g., placebo, another therapy).

O (Outcome)

The result or endpoint of interest.

Levels of Evidence

A hierarchy of evidence quality, from high (RCTs, systematic reviews) to lower levels.

Traditional model

Evidence hierarchy where RCTs and systematic reviews are considered strongest.

RCTs

Randomized Controlled Trials; assess the effectiveness of an intervention.

Systematic reviews

Synthesis of multiple studies on a topic using a rigorous method.

Meta-analyses

Statistical synthesis of results from multiple studies.

OCEBM

Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine levels, ranging from Level 1 (highest) to Level 5 (lowest).

Tomlin Pyramid

A framework where Experimental, Descriptive, Qualitative, and Outcomes research are valued according to the question.

Experimental

Research focusing on cause-and-effect through controlled manipulation.

Descriptive

Research describing norms, patterns, and associations without experimental manipulation.

Qualitative

Research exploring experiences, meanings, and perspectives of participants.

Practice-based evidence

Data and insights gathered from real-world service delivery as evidence.

Critical Appraisal

Systematic evaluation of a study’s validity, results, and applicability.

Validity

The extent to which a study's design and execution accurately reflect the phenomenon.

Applicability

How well the study results generalize to a specific patient or context.

Searching the Literature

Systematic retrieval of relevant evidence from scholarly sources.

Databases

Digital collections of literature (e.g., PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane, PEDro).

Boolean operators

Logical connectors (AND, OR, NOT) used to refine searches.

MeSH terms

Medical Subject Headings; standardized indexing terms for articles.

Truncation

Using an asterisk (*) to search for word variants and roots.

Barriers to EBP

Common obstacles such as limited appraisal skills, time constraints, access; institutional/policy limits.