The Effect of Education with Workplace Supports on Practitioners' Evidence-based Practice Knowledge and Implementation Behaviours

Background/aim: Individual and workplace barriers affect uptake of evidence-based practice (EBP). This study evaluated the effects of a 1-day workshop with workplace supports on allied health professionals' EBP knowledge and behaviour.

Methods: A prospective longitudinal pre-post design was used. A total of 88 allied health professionals participated. Knowledge was measured using the Adapted Fresno Test (AFT), behaviour was measured using frequency counts of presentations using EBP methodologies and critically appraised topics (CATs) were produced. Mean differences were analysed using paired t-tests.

Results: EBP knowledge significantly improved immediately after education on the AFT (from 36.67 to 46.84/156) a mean change of 10.17 points (95% confidence interval (CI): 7.19-13.50) (P <0.001). Behaviour also changed over 18 months. EBP content in presentations increased from 3 to 100% (t = 24.39, P <0.001, 95%CI: 0.86-1.03). CATs produced significantly increased by 0.26 per head (t =5.55, P <0.001, 95% CI: 0.17-0.35).

Conclusions: Education with workplace supports (supervision, incentives, resource allocation and working groups) may lead to improvements in EBP knowledge and implementation.