Practice to research: integrating evidence-based practices with culture and context

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Cultural Competence in Healthcare
• Evidence-Based Medicine

Background:

• Improving patient and practitioner experiences requires integrating culturally competent services (CCS) and evidence-based practices (EBP).
• Effective healthcare delivery necessitates the joint deployment of CCS and EBP evidence for both patients and clinicians.
• Existing research models may not fully capture the nuances of cultural context in healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore methods for integrating culturally competent services (CCS) and evidence-based practices (EBP).
• To demonstrate the utility of partnership research models in achieving this integration.
• To provide practical examples of integrating CCS and EBP in healthcare settings.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing partnership research models involving close clinician and practitioner participation.
• Employing integrated qualitative and quantitative mixed methods.
• Illustrating integration through "evidence farming," continuous improvement of activities, and analysis of tacit/explicit cultural scripts.

Main Results:

• Partnership research models facilitate the integration of CCS and EBP.
• Methods like "evidence farming" and analyzing cultural norms aid integration.
• Collaborative research yields stronger models with culture and context included.

Conclusions:

• Integrating culturally competent services and evidence-based practices is achievable and beneficial.
• Partnership research models are effective for bridging CCS and EBP.
• Future research should prioritize culturally informed and context-specific methodologies.