Promoting evidence-based care through a clinical research fellowship programme

Area of Science:

• Healthcare education
• Evidence-based practice
• Clinical research utilization

Background:

• Significant resources are allocated to clinical innovations, yet a quarter of patients receive suboptimal or harmful treatments.
• Ensuring healthcare practice is evidence-based remains a persistent challenge in clinical settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the development and evaluation of a multidisciplinary critical appraisal and research utilization training program.
• To demonstrate a potential approach for making clinical practice evidence-based.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional qualitative evaluation survey was conducted.
• Nurses and allied health professionals participating in the training program were surveyed.
• Open-ended questions assessed personal and professional outcomes of program participation.

Main Results:

• All participants found the program beneficial for their daily practice.
• Participants reported increased confidence in discussing clinical issues within multidisciplinary teams.
• The majority of participants engaged in oral presentations, publications, or further academic pursuits.

Conclusions:

• The critical appraisal and research utilization program improved clinician confidence, knowledge, and skills.
• The program contributed to evidence-based care, quality, and safety within the organization.
• It effectively addressed common barriers to research utilization in clinical practice.