EVIDENCE BUILDING AS AN OCCUPATION: A Preliminary Cultural Analysis of Inquiry and Practice: Expanding Our View of EBP

Background: Recent work suggests that evidence is built differently in practice and research (Dougherty et al, 2015). Given that occupation is mediated by context, the following question was posed: Are research and practice... [ view full abstract ]

Background:
Recent work suggests that evidence is built differently in practice and research (Dougherty et al, 2015). Given that occupation is mediated by context, the following question was posed: Are research and practice two different cultures, with evidence defined and built differently in each?

Method:
A model of dynamic culture (Bonder et al, 2004) was used to analyze two contexts: research (qualitative and quantitative) and occupational therapy practice (assessment and intervention). The definition, generation and use of evidence as it appeared in each context was additionally examined.

Results:
A preliminary analysis suggests that research and practice are two different cultures, each with its own embedded values, specific locales, and artifacts (“talk” and “action”). Additionally, each defines, generates and uses evidence in ways particular to its own culture.

Conclusion:
Results suggest expanded processes for “evidence-based practice,” and suggest an occupation of evidence building that is unique to the culture in which it takes place.

Application to Practice:
Further study of evidence-building across contexts from a singular viewpoint of “occupation” has the potential to broaden present evidence-based practice processes, which could inform, and perhaps narrow, the research-practice gap.

References:
Bonder, B., Martin, L. and Miracle, A. W. (2004) ‘Culture emergent in occupation’, American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 58 (2), 159-168.

Dougherty, D.A., Toth-Cohen, S.E. and Tomlin, G.S. (2015) Beyond Research Literature: Clinicians’ perspectives of evidence in everyday practice. Manuscript submitted for publication.