Evidence-based practice knowledge and perfusionists' clinical behavior

Evidence-based practice (EBP) has been widely studied and adopted in allied health professions education. Current practitioners may have challenges in adopting EBP into current practice. EBP skills have not been previously assessed in perfusionists, therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify a preliminary analysis of perfusionists' EBP knowledge and its possible relationship to clinical behavior and educational level

A non-randomized convenience study using the Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire (EBPQ) was used to measure EBP of practicing U.S. perfusionists. The EBPQ is a validated survey instrument designed to measure EBP practice, attitude and knowledge subscales. The EBPQ consisted of 24 items on a 1 to 7 Likert Scale, with higher numbers indicating frequent use of skill. Practitioner experience, educational background and employment type were also collected.

Two hundred and fifty-four responses met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. The mean EBPQ score was 5.0 (SD = 0.9) with similar means for the subscales. There were important differences found in the EBPQ scores, depending on the educational level and work status. There was a positive correlation between the knowledge and practice subscales, demonstrating a relationship in the sample and a possible relationship in the population as a whole.

The results suggest that perfusionists' use of EBP in practice does vary, based upon educational level and employment type. The findings also demonstrated areas of lower EBP aptitude. The correlation between EBP knowledge and practice may guide educational efforts at improving EBP practice.