Evidence based practice: Steps 4 & 5. APPLY AND ASSESS

The fourth and fifth steps in the EBP process are Apply and Assess.

Apply is a crucial step as this is where you apply or integrate the evidence in relation to your patient or practice issue. 

Always keep in mind the main tenets of EBP:

• Best available research evidence
• Patient values
• Your clinical expertise
• Your specific practice context

Assess (or Audit) involves reflecting on steps 1-4 and evaluating your performance.

Self-evaluation can take many forms, but some questions you might like to reflect on include:

• Am I asking a focused clinical question?
• Am I using the best available evidence (or the highest level of evidence)?
• Have I performed my searches effectively in databases?
• How appropriate are the studies to my patient or specific context?