Question

A healthcare coordinator is using evidence-based practice (EBP) to improve the patient referral system at a healthcare facility. The healthcare coordinator asks the opinion of colleagues about the current referral process during a staff meeting. Which source of evidence is the healthcare coordinator utilizing?

Answer 1

The healthcare coordinator is using colleague opinions as a source of evidence when asking about the current referral process, an essential qualitative aspect of evidence-based practice.

Step-by-step explanation:

The healthcare coordinator is utilizing colleague opinions as a source of evidence in using evidence-based practice (EBP) to improve the patient referral system. When a healthcare coordinator seeks input from colleagues about the existing process, he or she is gathering qualitative data based on professional experience. This information can be considered part of the expert opinion tier within the hierarchy of evidence, which is one aspect of evidence-based practice. However, for a robust EBP, it's essential to also integrate quantitative data, such as reviews of patient outcomes, and scientific research to ensure that the improvements to the referral system are grounded in a comprehensive analysis of best practices and actual results.