Essentials of Evidence-Based Practice (Nursing)

Essentials of Evidence-Based Practice

Assignment: Evidence-Based Practice and the Quadruple Aim

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is defined as the integration of clinical expertise,

patient values and the best research evidence into the decision-making process for patient care. Evidence-based practice strategies allow nurses and other health care providers to translate research findings into clinical practice. With efficient literature-searching skills and the application of formal rules of evidence in evaluating research findings, providers can apply existing scientific knowledge in their clinical practice for each individual patient.

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement stated they should target the triple aim in health care: improving the patient experience, improving population health outcomes and decreasing health care costs. Some years after the triple aim goal came out, a fourth aim was added, which was to improve the work life of clinicians and their well-being. Evidence-based practice is the secret that enables us to reach that quadruple aim.

Patient experience, population health, costs, and work life of healthcare providers are the four components and elements of the quadruple aim. Each component is extremely important and plays a unique role. As evidence-based practice has already been focused on patient outcomes, experience, population health and costs, the only component that has not been brought to light is the fourth and final component on the quadruple aim, the work life of health care providers.

Work life of the health care providers then came into play. The costs of burnout are widely under-recognized. Health professional burnout poses a significant threat to the clinical, financial and reputational success of an institution. But burnout can be prevented with intentional organizational initiatives. The return on investment for organizations that address burnout can be substantial. This is mainly why the fourth and final component of the quadruple aim was imperatively added and is now part of evidence-based practice.

References

Flanagan, N. (2018). The Quadruple Aim: Improving Working Conditions for Health Care Providers. Caring for the Ages, 19(1), 10–11. doi: 10.1016/j.carage.2017.12.010

Rathert, C., Williams, E. S., & Linhart, H. (2018). Evidence for the Quadruple Aim. Medical Care, 56(12), 976–984. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000999

(2019). What is Evidence-Based Practice? doi: 10.4135/9781526492289