Continuing Issues Regarding EBP in Practice

Abstract

This chapter addresses several unresolved issues and challenges that practitioners and academics have raised about evidence-based practice (EBP) and evidence-based medicine (EBM). EBP/EBM has strong support from policy makers, funders, and administrators, though their standardized approaches often seem to leave out client values and preferences and to minimize clinical expertise. The medical model orientation of EBM/EBP research often appears to omit or minimize issues of human diversity and social justice. Further, EBM/EBP research often omits or minimally identifies people of color and other dimensions of human social diversity, seriously limiting its application in real-world practice.