Apply and Assess
Application: As the EBP Venn Diagram illustrates, optimal application of the evidence to your patient requires factoring in patient preferences, abilities, and resources and clinician experience and resources. See the Research Pyramid below to understand how to apply the evidence in accordance with the clinical reasoning of the Occupational Therapy profession.
Assessment involves evaluation of your patient after application of your evidence based decision. Assessment also includes self evaluation of your EBP process in order to improve your skills and abilities over time.
The Research Pyramid
Although the process of applying EBP is largely the same across health disciplines, differences in application occur due to differing theories and frameworks that ground the various health practices.
The Research Pyramid model, below, has been designed specifically for Occupational Therapy, in order to align the application of EBP with the epistemology of the profession. This model differs from other traditional pyramid models in that it incorporates not only quantiative research into the structure, but qualitative and experimental research as well. This expanded, three-dimensional model better supports the clinical reasoning and decision making needs of occupational therapy practice by taking into account evidence acquired from procedural (experimental), interactive (qualitative) and conditional (outcome) reasoning (Tomlin G , and Borgetto B Am J Occup Ther 2011;65:189-196). Read more about this model and its relevance to practice in: Tomlin, G., & Borgetto, B. (2011). Research pyramid: A new evidence-based practice model for occupational therapy. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 65(2), 189-196.
.
