Occupations in the medical field are constantly evolving as new research is conducted and newly discovered evidence is released. Maintaining new knowledge and staying up to date with the latest medical discoveries is critical in all careers pertaining to the well-being of humans. It is important for professionals to further their education as they continue to practice and collaborate with other professionals to create the finest care plan for clients. Speech-language pathologists (SLP), along with other medical professionals, rely on evidence based practice (EBP) for the latest, most efficient care for clients in clinical practice. EBP is defined differently depending on the source used, however, each definition largely …show more content…
According to ASHA, “The term evidence based practice refers to an approach in which current, high-quality research evidence is integrated with practitioner expertise, as well as client preferences and values, into the process of making clinical decisions” (“Evidence-Based Practice in…”). Just like any clinical process, EBP for communication disorders has key steps. “The four key steps in EBP are framing the clinical question, finding the evidence, assessing the evidence, and making the clinical decision” (“Evidence-Based Practice”). As research changes, SLPs must alter their method of clinical practice to accommodate their clients. ASHA also states, “The goal of EBP is the integration of clinical expertise/expert opinion, external scientific evidence, and client/patient/caregiver perspectives to provide high-quality services reflecting the interests, values, needs, and choices of the individuals served” (“Evidence-Based Practice”). SLPs must take into consideration both the client’s needs, as well as their wishes of what …show more content…
One profession which uses EBP similar to speech-language pathology is occupational therapy. “In both professions, there is a pressing need for the field to encourage rewards for higher quality research that examines the efficacy of interventions so that there is evidence available to inform practice” (Gardner, et al., 2014). Like mentioned before, EBP differs slightly for each occupation. “Some of the differences in the application of EBP for occupational therapy arise from the differing practice domains and theoretical models used” (Bennett, S., & Bennett, J.). Each occupation has its own technique of collecting evidence and deciding which method of practice is most beneficial for them. “Occupational therapy, as a profession, has relied primarily on the clinical expertise of the practitioner while the impact of research has been negligible” (Gardner, et al., 2014). Differences in the type of assessments being conducted in each profession plays a role in how often EBP should be integrated into clinical practice. “Unlike speech-language pathology which was rooted in science and medicine based evidence, EBP in occupational therapy has its roots in medicine, and the methods used in occupational therapy research are not typically rigorous” (Gardner, et al., 2014). Speech-language pathology and occupational therapy both use the same definition for EBP, and the main goal of EBP in both professions