Management action plan for improving evidence-based medicine practices

Running head: MAP 6 Management Action Plan for Evidence Based Medicine The Problem or Opportunity for Improvement Evidence-based medicine (EBM) represents the ideal application of contemporary, most effective and rational evidence to make decisions on individual patient care. The practice incorporates three elements: actual clinical experience, ideal research data on hand, and patients’ beliefs and values. This technique aims to employ superior clinical study data to make clinical/medical decisions. In spite of the existence of explicit motives and immense predictable favorable results, a number of issues plague EBM, a few of which are researcher bias and issues linked to the mode of presenting research findings. Scholars who end up producing unfavorable findings find that their efforts are accorded no recognition. People only wish to acknowledge and publish research studies that glean positive outcomes. A second issue is overconfidence, which leads to the overblowing of false negative and positive results. A third issue identified with respect to EBM is the lack of research replication. Research works carried out by a given scholar fail to be repeated by others, thereby rendering it hard to confirm outcomes of any research work. Replication of studies typically reveals divergent outcomes. In the EBM domain, information fraud may occur, owing to selective reporting of results. Study authors wish to only display positive outcomes. To achieve this, they readily manipulate information and present fraudulent findings. Certain cases reveal the existence of conflicting interests with respect to funding (Saarni, & Gylling, 2004). This issue must be resolved for ensuring proper application of EBM approach in clinical patient care. Not addressing the issues identified can destabilize clinical practice, in addition to posing patient care/health risks. Such challenges may prove damaging to patients as well as the overall healthcare sector. Medical practitioners may be resorting to inefficient clinical practices which may end up risking the health, and even (in the worst case) the lives, of patient. The health sector may also witness a loss of provider credibility and integrity. Measurable Goals One measurable goal is the evaluation of clinicians’ engagement in improved practice to achieve EBM methods. EBM may be streamlined through the minimization of outcome exaggeration practices. Furthermore, there is a need to enhance credibility by means of outcome replication. This MAP’s (management action plan’s) expected result will be an exploration of how to make information free of fraud and falsification. I will strive to the best of my ability, and using the most superior techniques on hand, for ensuring EBM is without bias, mistakes, fraud, and manipulation (James, 2013). An effective MAP requires assessment via the use of a number of conditions for making sure the plan is workable. This entails evaluation by utilizing models at hand for ascertaining credibility and performance. Furthermore, there is a need to attempt to implement the plan in any healthcare center for garnering healthcare domain stakeholder (i.e., providers, patients, etc.) feedback. A few limitations and drawbacks associated with EBM are: absence of an explicit guideline regarding the ideal way of studying, evaluating, and implementing EBM; and monetary problems owing to the fact that this technique requires considerable resources for its application. I face the constraint of not being authorized to access healthcare centers. Moreover, I have limited time and funds on hand. List of Possible Actions The foremost step in the attempt at resolving EBM-related issues is: formulating an accurate description of an effective research work. An effective study is rational and examinable, besides being devoid of embellishment and mistakes. Looking into study entities’ rate of use constitutes a key step in ascertaining study efficacy. One may, for example, look into the way healthcare providers apply research. This may be by way of adopting and encouraging adoption within healthcare organizations. Another efficacy measure is gauging citation rate after publication (Masic, Miokovic, & Muhamedagic, 2008). In addition, healthcare providers may attempt to establish superior research design and methodology related confirmable standards. Such an endeavor would serve to enhance theoretic as well as practical credibility and reliability. Relevant issues may be resolved through ensuring reproducibility of the studies. This may be achieved by ensuring clear-cut raw information is gleaned. Another key consideration to bear in mind is making sure techniques employed are examinable and comprehensible. Yet another potential action for resolving issues encountered by EBM is assessment of instruments which may be utilized in the integration of EBM with diagnostic decision support. The above would be tantamount to utilizing business intelligence and data within the medical/health practice context. It would prove beneficial to healthcare organizations, nurses and allied healthcare workers (like clinical officers and pharmacists. Instruments of this sort would bring about improvements in illness treatment and diagnosis. The next step would be attempting to establish the ideally validated, internet-based diagnostic decision support instrument. Information mobilization proves pivotal to checking for, evaluating, and getting rid of any errors. Finally, one could adopt a smaller study design and focus on a more heterogeneous population for ensuring the study is better implementable and more concentrated. Management Action Plan for Evidence-Based Medicine Providers need to make sure they stick to the guidelines pertaining to ideal utilization of EBM. This may be achieved through targeting a particular group of patients for studying medication efficacy. A smaller population and research design would ensure improved clinical results. Healthcare professionals ought to be flexible and incorporate novel techniques for improving medical practice. Pharmacists and clinical officers may devise instruments for better implementation and evaluation of EBM within healthcare centers. These instruments ought to ensure more effective, implementable decisions are taken. Definite suggestions and guidelines ought to be provided with regard to application of EBM techniques and instruments and appraisal of outcomes. Diverse clinical scenarios ought to have diverse techniques of EBM application. Appropriate funding and training is required in the EBM domain; this includes establishing minimum healthcare goals and requisites (Saarni, & Gylling, 2004) Accountability The HR division ought to engage in appropriate planning to train and take on individuals to improve the EBM field. The finance division ought to identify means of sourcing for monetary and other resources required to implement EBM practice. Explicit guidelines ought to be provided with regard to gauging study feasibility. Pharmacists and clinical officers ought to allow diverse healthcare sector specialists to evaluate their tools for making sure they are practicable and capable of sustaining healthcare organizations. After a specified period of time following EBM practice implementation, a survey ought to be administered for gleaning relevant feedback and ascertaining whether any aspect of the practice requires modification. Each respondent will be asked his/her view regarding the techniques and how they are being implemented. Measurement and Monitoring Outcomes may be gauged through the use of prior criteria cited within multiple journals and papers. Furthermore, one may evaluate standpoints and beliefs of physicians, patients, nursing staff and pharmacists with regard to EBM. Questionnaires, polls and direct observation may help serve this purpose. The questionnaires and polls ought to be appropriately designed to glean data and views on healthcare practices. The evaluation of how shortcomings and obstacles have been gotten rid of can prove valuable in gauging practice success. Lastly, one can gauge whether or not required results have been realized, through examining patients using multiple health practices (Chaudoir, Dugan, & Barr, 2013).