Evidence Based Practice (EBM)
According to Rousseau (2006), EBM is a concept in which decisions are made and policies formulated on the basis of sound evidence. Contemporarily, there has been a notable paradigmatic shift in how medical professionals use scientific research and data analysis in the process of making decisions as well as formulating the policies as mentioned. The role of evidence in decision and policy making in clinical practices has yielded the practical outcomes. Though managers and policymakers have consistently been advised to embrace the use of evidence based management practices, there has been significant negligence in the adoption of this concept. Nonetheless, it is clear, latest knowledge in decision making constitute the use evidence based management implying that it can hardly be ignored. In this light, therefore, the paper seeks to explore the use of this concept particularly, in the healthcare industry. Additionally, the paper will categorically focus on its importance, the underlying principles of EBM, as well as the inherent practical application in health care arena.
Importance of EBM
The use of EBM in an organization not only encourages accurate decision making but also the use of up-to-date techniques. Importantly, the practice helps managers incorporate the physical data and information during decision making. In essence, managers who prefer making decisions solely based on their personal experience are likely to stipulate policies that are inaccurate and ineffective. Consequently, the concept of making decisions and policy formulation becomes susceptible to errors and inaccuracies. Further, such decision made on the basis of personal experiences and emotions are likely to give biased outcomes. Actually, in most cases, the use of personal experiences, emotions, and preferences lead to a situation where the decisions made are not reflective of the organizational goals and priorities.
Additionally, scholars have argued that even the best of professionals in management are not perfect in making long term and strategic decision to aid in the running of the organization. To some extent, they are also vulnerable to the use of emotional and preferential thinking. As a result, there is need to adapt evidence based management practices by managers when making crucial decisions in order to ensure that the resolutions are based on perfect rationale and objective reasoning. In health care, use of evidence based management practices will help come up with strategies meant to serve the patients using modern techniques such as the application of cutting edge technology. For example, use of current technological improvements in decision making. Equally important, practitioners use the work of other individuals to draw conclusion on their situations (Walse, 2010). The demerit is that the used evidence from external source may not be correct or it may contain errors. Hence, the policy formulated becomes obsolete. In brief, the use of evidence in decision making by practitioners is paramount. A decision made based on evidence will always compensate the Organization’s operations.
Practical Application in healthcare
Barends demonstrates how the use of evidence based management is importantby use of an example. According to Barends (2014), the evidence based management practices can be used to “make feedback people friendly”. He narrates a story that a certain director of healthcare, with at least twenty more branches in the rural areas, noted that the performance was cascading in the rural branches. He reviewed the statistics of the last four months and realized that certain branches performed better than others. Also, the executive concluded that the performance was neither due to patients nor the staff members but the management practices adopted. Further, he decided to interview a few of staff members. During interviewing process, he remembered a principle he learnt in University related to psychology. The principle was “human decision and policy makers are only capable of processing little information at a time” The response by the staff member helped him understand all that the decisions made by staff members in their branches was not inclined to that principle. He noted that the new and current performance system used three sub sections, that is, care unit, employee satisfaction and cost accountability. Therefore, he definitely concluded that the system was the problem and he advocated for a reformed and customized system to allow staff work efficiently. In the example, the principle of the executive is translated to a more efficient system capable to handle the problems associated with the operations of clinical centers.
Principles of Evidence based management (EBM)
According to Pfeffer & Sutton (2006), there are five principles managers should use for effective control, planning, staffing and coordinating the affairs of the organization. First, building an environment where employees are encouraged to communicate the truth without fear. Even when information is not pleasant. This will make the employee talk express their grievances without fear of intimidation of firing. Secondly, use the best evidence which the manager confidencewith in making the decision and guiding the workers. Intuition of the manager should be important in choosing the evidence to use during making financial decisions. Thirdly, encourage operating with practical or experiments. Evidently, experiments give a true representation of the phenomena. Therefore, experiments will assist the manager be confident with the evidence he or she is using in making decision. Fourth, analyze the merits and demerits of all the recommendations made. Finally, base the decisions on what is believed correct. Use the past experience in policy making.
References
Barends, E. (2014). The basisc principles of evidence based management. Amsterdam: the centre for event based management press.
Pfeffer, J., & Sutton, R. (2006). Evidence-Based Management. Havard business review journal.
Rousseu, D. M. (2006). IS THERE SUCH A THING AS “EVIDENCE-BASED MANAGEMENT? Journal of management review, 14.
Sackett, D. (2008). A Definition Of Evidence Based Management. management review journal.
Walshe, K. (2001). Evidence-based Management: From Theory to Practice in Health Care. Multinatioanl journal of population health and health policy.
Walse, K. (2010). Evidence-based Management: From Theory to Practice in Health Care. California: Qualitative Health Research press.
