Retained Knowledge and Use of Evidence-Based Practice Concepts

Abstract

Context: To maintain certification, athletic trainers (ATs) are required to obtain continuing education units (CEUs) in the area of evidence-based practice (EBP). Longitudinal analysis of outcomes after attending a Board of Certification–approved Foundations of EBP course is lacking. Objective: To evaluate ATs' knowledge retention of and confidence in EBP concepts 12 months after a Foundations of EBP course. A secondary aim was to determine ATs' perceptions regarding barriers to, use of, and resources for EBP. Design: Repeated measures within-subjects survey. Setting: Online survey. Patients or Other Participants: Twenty-seven respondents (22% response rate) from a convenience sample of 123 ATs. Intervention(s): Board of Certification–approved Foundations of EBP category workshop. Main Outcome Measure(s): The survey instrument, Evidence-Based Concepts: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Use (EBCKAU), ascertained ATs' perceived EBP knowledge over a 12-month period. Descriptive statistics and correlations were calculated; repeated measures analysis of variance determined differences between scores. Responses to open-ended questions were catalogued according to themes and coded. Results: For the knowledge score, a statistically significant increase in perceived knowledge (F2.0,52.0 = 18.91, P < .001) from preworkshop (6.40 ± 1.77) to immediately postworkshop (8.15 ± 1.51) and from before to 12 months after workshop (7.30 ± 1.64) was noted. Confidence in knowledge was statistically significantly different over time (z = −4.55, P < .001). Both before and since the workshop, ATs reported low levels of incorporating patient-reported outcome measures (PROM) and were equally likely to use compilation research findings in their clinical practice. Barriers of time and available resources were identified, and patient care was reported as the primary area in which ATs envision future use of EBP. Conclusions: Athletic trainers improved immediate perceived knowledge and retained knowledge of EBP concepts over time; however, confidence in knowledge decreased over time. ATs did not implement the workshop concepts into their daily clinical practice.