Article

This research aims to explore what New Zealand occupational therapists consider 'evidence' to be and how the search for evidence is accomplished in their practice.
Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 therapists who had shown variations in comfort levels with locating and implementing evidence.
Findings: Four themes emerged from the data: (1) finding evidence to support practice: informal quick methods were favoured; (2) the nature of available evidence: evidence was considered to be of limited value in practice as the context of the research was often very different to the context of local practice; (3) the organisational influences: the culture of the work environment played a key role in the dissemination of knowledge and (4) the importance of evidence: the need to use evidence to support practice was appreciated by most therapists. In general, using reliable resources was regarded as key to evidence-based practice with availability of resources, therefore, deemed essential.
Conclusion: Therapists value trustworthy research information that is pre-digested and can be readily used in practice. Where there is limited research evidence, the focus should be on the generation and dissemination of information from critical reflections on practice.

Langue : ANGLAIS