A systematic review of qualitative literature on educational interventions for evidence‐based practice

Abstract

AbstractThis review considers individual experience of educational interventions for evidence‐based practice (EBP) and presents a two‐stage approach for synthesizing quantitative and qualitative research. To find relevant reports, a search was performed in 8 biomedical databases and 3 health education journals. In addition, relevant experts and E‐mail: discussion lists were contacted, and reference lists of reports were checked. Two reviewers quality appraised all reports according to predefined checklists. In total, seven reports (6 studies) were included. Two main frameworks were then used to synthesize the data from the included studies based on (a) predetermined research questions and (b) educational theory. The results were then compared with existing research (systematic reviews). The included studies were limited in number and gave limited insight. Nonetheless, some clear issues emerged. Many participants emphasized that course aims, objectives and, where relevant, precourse tasks, should be more clearly communicated, especially when courses were innovative, complex or presented in a new setting. Experiences suggested that educational uptake and the implementation of skills in practice were directly linked to the participants’ perceptions of the relevance of courses to their professional roles. A range of educational models are used to teach EBP, but no studies were found that directly compared the experiences of participants at different types of EBP courses, or described their potential strengths or weaknesses. Future studies should document educational process, outcomes and the experiences of providers and participants, and explicitly use educational theory to plan, implement and evaluate educational interventions.