Advancing the Use of Evidence-Based Practice in Respiratory Care

Every health care profession with direct patient care responsibilities has aspired to provide evidence-based care since its emergence in the late 20th century as a way to improve patient outcomes. Evidence-based practice prioritizes using the best available clinical research evidence to guide clinical decision making. Clinical expertise and patient values and preferences are used to complement the best available clinical research evidence to ensure personalized but effective care is delivered.¹ Respiratory care as a profession has sought to ensure there is evidence to support the safe and effective use of treatments and strategies to manage cardiopulmonary disease and that respiratory therapists (RTs) can provide evidence-based care.² The American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) publishes the scientific journal Respiratory Care monthly and supports the development and dissemination of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. The National Board for Respiratory Care includes “Utilize Evidence-Based Practice” as a tested category on the Therapist Multiple Choice and Clinical Simulation Exam. The Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care incorporates evidence-based practice into all published standards, including entry to practice, degree advancement, and advanced practice respiratory therapy. Despite the commitment by these organizations to ensure RTs have access to evidence-based practice resources and possess some knowledge about the practice of evidence-based respiratory care, challenges remain with fully implementing the application of best evidence in patient care.²

In this issue of Respiratory Care, Clark et al³ report on the findings of a survey of respiratory therapy faculty and students assessing their knowledge, self-efficacy, learning experiences, and use of evidence-based practice. Recognizing that evidence-based respiratory care is inconsistently implemented, the authors sought to gain additional insight into potential barriers to implementation of evidence-based practice. Specifically, the authors were interested in determining if there was a relationship between knowledge, self-efficacy, or learning …

Correspondence: Sarah M Varekojis PhD RRT RRT-ACCS FAARC. E-mail: varekojis.16{at}osu.edu