We often hear of evidence-based practice in graduate schools and across our healthcare careers. But, at what point does the term become salient? When does it have a greater meaning for those in our care?
National Advocacy for Evidence-Based Practice
The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) has long advocated for occupational therapy practitioners to implement evidence-based practice as a measure to guide therapeutic interventions and interactions with clients. In fact, the AOTA has published a wealth of resources for clinicians. These resources include practice guidelines, critically appraised topics, and dedicated issues of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy (AJOT) which focus on empirical research related to a multitude of clinical subject areas (AOTA, 2019).
Evidence-Based Practice in the Clinic & the Classroom
Promotion of evidence-based practice is fostered not only in the education of practitioners, but – just as importantly – through modeling these behaviors in clinical practice. At Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (RMUoHP), graduate program faculty are both educational and clinical leaders. They carry the tenet of evidence-based practice through the classroom and into their respective areas of clinical practice. Susan Zapf, PhD, OTR/L, BCP, ATP, is one such leader.
Dr. Zapf is an experienced occupational therapist. She obtained her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Pediatric Science from RMUoHP in 2012 and serves as the Pediatrics Elective Track Director for RMUoHP’s post-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) degree program. Dr. Zapf is the co-owner of a successful pediatric clinic that serves families in the Houston, Texas area. When asked about the importance of using evidence-based practice to treat her very special population of clients, Dr. Zapf shared the following:
“We need to use interventions that have been proven to be effective. Doing so assures we are providing the best evidence-based interventions to support our clients’ treatment goals. Using evidence-based intervention can also be used as a justification to other professionals and insurance companies of why our treatments are necessary. Evidence-based practice not only guides treatment protocols, but it also helps to design practice. The use of specific equipment, the hours (or intensity) of treatment, and the specialized plans of care can all be validated by evidence. When working with families, evidence (including case reports) may be shared. This allows parents to better understand how the interventions recommended by the clinicians may provide similar results for their children.”
Dr. Zapf’s commitment to evidence-based practice in both theory and application demonstrate her effectiveness as a clinician and educator. She is truly a model of how to put the evidence back in practice.
Advanced Educational Opportunities
For more information on the PhD program and post-professional OTD program at RMUoHP, visit:
Additionally, RMUoHP offers continuing education classes to maintain and support evidence-based practitioner and educator expertise. Courses are open to a variety of healthcare professionals, including occupational therapists, physical therapists, nurses, nurse practitioners, athletic trainers, physicians, speech-language pathologists, and wellness advocates. For example, the upcoming annual Pediatrics Institute continuing education series features internationally recognized experts in the subjects of Neonatal Examination, Intervention, Feeding, Transition to Home, and Infant Motor Profile. For more information on the University’s continuing education opportunities, visit https://rm.edu/academics/continuing-education/.
Guest blog by Michelle L. Webb, EdD, OTD, OTR/L, CAPS, Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program Director
References
American Occupational Therapy Association. (2019). Evidence-based practice & research. Retrieved from https://www.aota.org/Practice/Researchers.aspx.
