Evidence-Based Practice Case Study

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is an approach to healthcare that emphasizes making decisions and providing treatments based on the best scientific evidence available. In EBP, healthcare professionals use rigorous research findings, patient preferences, and their clinical expertise to deliver the highest quality of care. Scientific evidence plays a crucial role in EBP. It involves using the most up-to-date and reliable information from scientific studies, clinical trials, and research to guide healthcare decisions (Portney, 2020). This helps ensure that doctors and nurses choose treatments and practices that have been proven to be effective. Patient values are another key aspect of EBP. Every patient is unique, with their own opinions, values, and specific needs. EBP respects the importance of these individual factors and encourages healthcare providers to listen to patients, respect their choices, and consider what they want when deciding on their care. In addition to scientific evidence and patient values, clinical expertise is also integral to EBP. Healthcare professionals bring their experience and skills to the table, and EBP doesn’t disregard their expertise. Instead, it combines their knowledge with scientific evidence and patient input to make well-informed decisions.

EBP Worthiness

Certainly, evidence-based practice is a worthy goal for the United States healthcare system. As mentioned previously, evidence-based practice is crucial in guiding clinical decision-making and improving the quality of healthcare services. There are various advantages of evidence-based practice witnessed in the United States healthcare system. To begin with, evidence-based practice has been shown to improve the general outcome of patients as it enables healthcare professionals to make evidence-based decisions. Secondly, evidenced-based practice encourages patient-centered care by advocating for consideration of patient values and preferences while providing care. As a result, there is improved patient satisfaction. Thirdly, evidence-based practice is associated with improved patient safety as interventions offered are based on scientific guidelines. This reduces patient harm as healthcare professionals can identify and avoid harmful interventions. Lastly, EBP encourages innovation among healthcare professionals, enabling new interventions and ideas to be generated.

EBP Adoption by the MMCI/Allina Health

MMCI and Alina Health have used EBP as their foundation in the healthcare delivery system. EBP has indeed played a crucial role in their healthcare journey, enhancing patient care and coordination. Over the years, Northwestern Hospital, a member of Allina Health, has used evidence-based practice (EBP) to make sure that healthcare professionals apply the most recent, scientifically validated methods for patient management. This has generally improved the quality of care being provided in Allina Health. The other evidence of using EBP is the formation of the MMCI whose primary goal was to improve the quality of patient care. MMCI aimed at establishing high standard patient care through incorporation of evidence based practice guidelines. Lastly, Allina Health has consistently been relying of clinical data from only approved sources which are used in making the clinical decisions.

Essentially, there is a variation in how the hospitals in the United States adopt EBP. Nonetheless, the outcome of the healthcare quality is similar. Most hospitals use EBP in developing practice guidelines that guide how each disease is managed. Others have mainly encouraged research for the discovery of new ideas that can be crucial in patient care. This has greatly led to an increased number of researchers and improved patient care across the United States (Cullen et al., 2020). For this reason, there has been a campaign to encourage wide adoption of EBP.

What Impacts do Healthcare Mergers Have on Patient Care and EBP

Healthcare mergers can affect patient care and EBP in different ways. On the positive side, mergers can make healthcare more efficient by saving money and improving the quality of care (Beaulieu et al., 2020). They can also offer patients access to more services and standardize care practices. Moreover, larger healthcare systems can fund more research, promoting EBP. However, there are downsides, as mergers may reduce competition, leading to higher costs and less focus on quality. They can also disrupt the care process and may divert attention from research and innovation. Patient choices might decrease, and staffing changes can affect EBP. In my community, we’ve seen both good and bad effects of healthcare mergers. Some have improved care, while others have raised concerns about access and quality, especially in rural areas. It’s important that healthcare systems plan mergers carefully, keeping patient care and EBP in mind, and that regulations ensure that patients don’t suffer from mergers.

Conclusion

In summary, Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) is an approach in healthcare that emphasizes using the best scientific evidence, patient preferences, and clinical expertise to make informed decisions and provide high-quality care. EBP is a worthy goal for the U.S. healthcare system because it leads to improved patient outcomes, patient-centered care, increased patient satisfaction, enhanced patient safety, and encourages innovation among healthcare professionals. Subsequently, MMCI/Allina Health has used EBP by incorporating best treatment practices, forming Minneapolis Medical Center Incorporated (MMCI), and emphasizing continuous quality improvement. While the adoption of EBP varies among hospitals in the United States, the goal of enhancing patient care remains consistent. Consequently, healthcare mergers can have both positive and negative impacts on patient care and EBP, with potential benefits including increased efficiency and drawbacks such as reduced competition and potential disruptions in care. It is therefore, crucial for healthcare systems to carefully plan mergers while considering patient care and EBP.

References

Beaulieu, N. D., Dafny, L. S., Landon, B. E., Dalton, J. B., Kuye, I., & McWilliams, J. M. (2020). Changes in quality of care after hospital mergers and acquisitions. New England Journal of Medicine, 382(1), 51-59. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMsa1901383

Cullen, L., Hanrahan, K., Farrington, M., Anderson, R., Dimmer, E., Miner, R., … & Rod, E. (2020). Evidence-based practice change champion program improves quality care. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 50(3), 128-134. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0000000000000856

Portney, L. G. (2020). Foundations of clinical research: applications to evidence-based practice. FA Davis.

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Question

Evidence-Based Practice Case Study

Write a 3-4 page paper answering the following questions. Please include at least 2 scholarly resources to further support your positions.

Questions

In your own words, what is EBP?
Is it a worthy goal for U.S. healthcare delivery? Why or why not?
How has MMCI/Allina Health used EBP? Are most other hospital systems in the United States using EBP in similar ways, or are there differences in the adoption of EBP?
Based on your own knowledge and possibly your own community, what impacts do healthcare mergers have on patient care and EBP?

Cite all sources in APA format.