Using family paradigms to improve evidence-based practice.

Area of Science:

• Family Science
• Clinical Practice
• Healthcare Decision-Making

Background:

• Evidence-based practice (EBP) integrates research, clinical expertise, and client values for optimal decision-making.
• Family-centered practices emphasize the integral role of the family in the clinical decision-making process.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose the use of family paradigms, a framework from family science, to effectively elicit and understand client and family values within family-centered EBP.
• To demonstrate the applicability of family paradigms in enhancing family-centered evidence-based practice.

Main Methods:

• Description of the family paradigms framework, encompassing four classic paradigms: closed, random, open, and synchronous.
• Application of the family paradigms framework to family-centered EBP, illustrated with examples from augmentative and alternative communication.

Main Results:

• Family-centered EBP necessitates active family involvement, yet some families may require support in articulating their values.
• Family paradigms provide a method to explore how families utilize resources (time, space, energy, material) and pursue goals (control, affect, meaning, content) to elicit relevant values and preferences for clinical decisions.

Conclusions:

• Family and client values can be systematically incorporated into all stages of EBP.
• Utilizing family paradigms can foster greater awareness and comprehension of how familial goals and resource management influence clinical choices.
• Further investigation is warranted to explore the processes and efficacy of employing family paradigms in conducting family-centered EBP.