Evolution of an Evidence Collaboration: From Initial Goals to Current Initiatives

Best practices based on evidence are needed by every clinician to provide safe, effective, patient-centered care. Determining best practice for a given situation can be difficult. Ideally, the clinician understands how to critically appraise the relevant research, and integrates high-quality research with interdisciplinary clinical expertise and patient and family values and preferences to choose best care for an individual or family. At our organization, we are taking the integration of research, clinical expertise, and patient/family preferences and values to the next level by aligning the evidence work of multiple functional areas and disciplines to improve the safety and effectiveness of clinical practice. The Evidence Collaboration, an interdisciplinary community of practice, has evolved to meet the challenges of helping novices and experts of all disciplines identify, critically appraise, synthesize, and disseminate evidence to inform best practices for patients and families, staff, and institutional processes. By creating a common language for evidence work, resources such as the Let Evidence Guide Every New Decision system, and templates for dissemination, the Evidence Collaboration has moved the organizational culture toward one that encourages the use of evidence in all decisions. Our progress continues as we strive to include patients and families in the decisions about best practices based on evidence.