Outcomes of a Multiprofessional Educational Intervention in Evidence-Based Practice

Background: Education is a commonly used intervention in the development of evidence-based practice (EBP). The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of an educational intervention on healthcare professionals’ perceived skills in finding, reviewing, and using research evidence in clinical practice. A further aim was to identify potential determinants for the outcome. Methods and Findings: A three-day course in EBP was designed for registered nurses, medical social workers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and dieticians. The Developing Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire (DEBP) questionnaire was administered before and six months after the intervention (N = 274). Non-parametric statistics were used. The results showed an overall effect on ability to find research evidence (p = .0005) and ability to review research evidence (p = .0005), whereas there was no overall effect on use of research evidence in clinical practice (p = .18). However, some subgroups showed a significant improvement over time, for example, those whose profession was nursing or midwifery and those who had experience using evidence-based practice prior to the educational intervention. Conclusions: The results showed that a three-day course in EBP improved the participants’ ability to find and review research evidence, but it did not have an overall effect on the use of research evidence in clinical practice.