Abstract
Evidence-based practice (EBP) is necessary for improving the quality of health care as well as patient outcomes. Evidence-based practice is commonly integrated into the curricula of undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing professional development health programs. There is, however, inconsistency in the curriculum content of EBP teaching and learning programs. A standardized set of minimum core competencies in EBP that health professionals should meet has the potential to standardize and improve education in EBP. To develop a consensus set of core competencies for health professionals in EBP. For this modified Delphi survey study, a set of EBP core competencies that should be covered in EBP teaching and learning programs was developed in 4 stages: (1) generation of an initial set of relevant EBP competencies derived from a systematic review of EBP education studies for health professionals; (2) a 2-round, web-based Delphi survey of health professionals, selected using purposive sampling, to prioritize and gain consensus on the most essential EBP core competencies; (3) consensus meetings, both face-to-face and via video conference, to finalize the consensus on the most essential core competencies; and (4) feedback and endorsement from EBP experts. From an earlier systematic review of 83 EBP educational intervention studies, 86 unique EBP competencies were identified. In a Delphi survey of 234 participants representing a range of health professionals (physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals) who registered interest (88 [61.1%] women; mean [SD] age, 45.2 [10.2] years), 184 (78.6%) participated in round 1 and 144 (61.5%) in round 2. Consensus was reached on 68 EBP core competencies. The final set of EBP core competencies were grouped into the main EBP domains. For each key competency, a description of the level of detail or delivery was identified. A consensus-based, contemporary set of EBP core competencies has been identified that may inform curriculum development of entry-level EBP teaching and learning programs for health professionals and benchmark standards for EBP teaching.
Highlights
The term evidence-based medicine was first developed in the field of medicine in the early 1990s, but as its use expanded to include other health disciplines, it became known as evidence-based practice (EBP)
We conducted a multistage, modified Delphi study, in which we (1) generated, from a systematic review, an initial set of potential competencies to be considered for inclusion in the EBP core competencies set; (2) conducted a 2-round modified Delphi survey to prioritize and gain consensus on the most essential EBP core competencies; (3) held a meeting to finalize the consensus on the set of EBP core competencies; and (4) sought feedback and endorsement from EBP experts and planned for dissemination
Generation of an Initial Set of Relevant EBP Competencies We identified 234 EBP competencies, which decreased to 86 unique competencies after removal of duplicates. eTables 1 and 2 and the eFigure in the Supplement present details
Summary
The term evidence-based medicine was first developed in the field of medicine in the early 1990s, but as its use expanded to include other health disciplines, it became known as evidence-based practice (EBP). Evidence-based practice provides a framework for the integration of research evidence and patients’ values and preferences into the delivery of health care.[1,2] Implementation of EBP principles has resulted in major advances in improving the quality of delivered health care as well as patient outcomes. The last 20 years have seen EBP increasingly integrated as a core component into the curriculum of undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing education health programs worldwide.[3,4] Many national registration bodies and accreditation councils (eg, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education in the United States) expect that all clinicians (ie, health professionals and learners of any discipline) should be competent in EBP.[5] The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine), an independent, nongovernmental, nonprofit organization that provides advice, counsel, and independent research on major topics in health care, has recognized EBP as one of the core competencies necessary for continuous improvement of the quality and safety of health care.[6]
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