Importance Of Evidence-Based Practice, Clinical Practice And Science

In their articles, Alan Kamhi and Kenn Apel discuss evidence-based practice, clinical practice, and science. While Kamhi feels that clinical practice cannot be scientific, Apel believes the contrary. Though they each note several differences between scientists and clinicians, I believe it is possible for clinicians to be scientists. Clinicians may not conduct science in the same regimented way as full-time researchers, but they are equally capable of researching practices, testing hypotheses, collecting data, and having their decisions validated. After reading their articles, I am encouraged to become a clinician rooted in scientific practices to help my patients and uphold the reputation of speech-language pathology.
1. What is your understanding
Though decision making with EBP is based on available scientific evidence, it also relies on clinical expertise, and patient preferences. EBP attempts to aid clinicians in providing the highest quality of services possible. Clinicians are able to assess data from research studies and compare the outcomes of various treatment options when deciding what will be most efficient and effective for their patients. Along with supporting their decisions with data, clinicians can reflect on past experiences to see the positive or negative outcomes they have encountered with various treatment options. Finally, patients' desires should be considered so they can be active participants in their
Clinicians need to be confident in their decisions to potentially improve patient outcomes. They must also question their decisions to an extent in order to be open to new approaches that could be more effective for their patients. Having this uncertainty is an essential component of evidence-based practice, and sometimes clinicians are educated to be certain and biased in their beliefs. It also is difficult for clinicians to find the appropriate emphasis to place on scientific evidence, patient values, and their personal expertise. Sometimes, clinicians base their decisions primarily on their expert opinion without considering scientific evidence. Kamhi also believes EBP may be difficult to apply to individual cases since several clinicians rely on evidence from randomized controlled trials of large populations. It also is noted that EBP can sometimes become a static way of making clinical decisions, rather than an individualized process in which clinicians stay up to date on the latest research and recognize their