The adoption of "evidence-based" or "evidence-informed" practice has been explored in many sectors and professions. ISHN has suggested often that the process of "mobilizing" (ie. actually using) knowledge is far more complex, chaotic, competitive and challenging than the logical models that are often presented. An article in Issue #4, 2015 of Journal of Evidence-Informed Social Work leads us in a similar direction when it presents a systematic review of social workers' evidence-based practice orientation, attitudes, and implementation. the authors suggest that "the authors aim to synthesise research findings exploring social workers' EBP orientation, attitudes, adoption, knowledge, skills, and perceived EBP barriers and facilitators. Numerous challenges to EBP implementation were identified, including: time management, research accessibility, and misperceptions of the role of evidence in decision making. Colleagues, supervisors, perceived experts, organizational culture, and tailored training were important for social workers' dissemination and utilization of evidence. Social workers may prefer more conversational, face-to-face methods of research dissemination." In other words, social workers, like health professionals and educatotrs like the research knowledge to be filtered through their own professional experiences and those of colleagues. They also prefer to to come in personal bite-sized bits from trusted colleagues and through their own systems, trusted channels. Read more >> (An item from the ISHN Member information service)
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