What are the benefits and challenges of using evidence-based practice in case management?

On the positive side, using evidence-based approaches ensures that interventions are grounded in research and proven effectiveness. This increases the likelihood of positive outcomes for clients and enhances the overall quality of care. Evidence-based practice promotes accountability, transparency, and continuous learning among case managers, fostering a culture of collaboration and shared decision-making with clients and their families.

Evidence Based Practice (EBP), is an approach to care that integrates the best available scientific research, with clinical expertise and client values. A clients strengths, interests and values need to be unearthed to inform the most suitable interventions, treatments & services. EBP interventions/treatments cannot be applied to all health & community services contexts, as the complex interplay of factors need to be considered, for clients/patients to benefit. All treatmnet should be client driven to meet their complex & changing needs The benefits of EBP are numerable, one being that there are a range of EB interventions that can be selected, to increase the likliehood of achieving best client outcomes

EBP provides me with both a toolkit and framework to help shape and define organisational decision making. The threading together of multiple perspectives is beneficial to my work in the not for profit and public sector where, stakeholder engagement is essential to generating social impact.

Finding scientific evidence, if you don’t have access to journals or databases can be prohibitively expensive - if you don’t have a link to an institution which provides it. Look for evidence summaries produced by sector bodies, on google scholar or if you’re really confident go and ask academics directly - they’ll be delighted to talk about their work!

Ensuring that there is no bias in the research is difficult as we have seen through the years so you need to pay particular attention to how the study was conducted to ensure the population will fit with the population you are engaging with is the same or similar. Either that or adapt the studies to create your own to eliminate the bias to get your own non-biased results to apply true EBP approach to care and outcomes.

If you’re new to EBP it can feel overwhelming, labour intensive and far too academic. Relax. You’re probably already using multiple sources of evidence in your work. Try to bring in new or different perspectives each time you’re faced with a major decision or planning a new project. Build up your practice over time. Once you’re more comfortable with multiple evidence sources, then work on critically appraising them. Organisations like Center of Evidence Based Management have freely available guides and resources to help you. Once you’ve mastered these basics tackling new and emerging data will feel less challenging and you will have already built up knowledge specific to your organisation and sector.