Evidence-Based Practice

Abstract

Evidence-based practice (EBP) describes a process of decision making for high-quality client care. The idea of basing practice on evidence was introduced in medicine as a way to promote clinical decision making that followed a rational process rather than intuition (Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group, 1992). EBP was defined as “the conscientious, explicit, judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients” (Sackett, Rosenberg, Gray, Haynes, & Richardson, 1996). From the outset, EBP was seen as based on more than research alone. Research was depicted as one of three overlapping circles or data streams to be considered in clinical decision making. Sackett and colleagues (1996) defined EBP as “the integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values.”