Evidence-Based Practice in Primary Care Occupational Therapy: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Sweden.
Ann-Charlotte Lindström, Susanne Bernhardsson
PMID 30538614WHAT IT FOUND
Most Swedish primary care occupational therapists use guidelines frequently, but few search or read research.
Lack of time was the biggest barrier. Feeling able to treat by evidence and easy guideline access went with frequent use.
Key findings
01Most respondents agreed that evidence-based practice is necessary and wanted to improve their skills, but only 52% felt confident finding relevant research.
02Seventy-five percent used guidelines frequently or very frequently, and lack of time was the most important barrier, cited by 72%.
03Easy access to guidelines and confidence in treating patients according to evidence were associated with frequent guideline use.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The survey was sent to 175 therapists and 94 responded, giving a response rate of 53.7%. The authors did not compare responders with non-responders except for gender. Men were overrepresented among respondents (10%) compared with non-respondents (3%). Data were self-reported, so actual behaviour may differ from what therapists said they did. Only publicly employed primary care occupational therapists were surveyed, so private practitioners may have different attitudes and access. The gender and age associations had wide confidence intervals and were based on a small sample, so they should not be treated as firm findings.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the high guideline use as proof that therapists are applying evidence-based practice. The survey was self-reported, most respondents rarely searched or read articles, and associations with frequent guideline use do not show that easy access or confidence caused more use.