Health Literacy: Evidence Based Practice

Ask a Question

• Get to know your topic
• Ask yourself the 5 W's and H: Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How?  (Who are the stakeholders? What is the issue/problem/concern/innovation? Where and When will it/does it occur?  Why is it important?  How will you propose to address it?)
• Do background research to make sure you have a solid foundation 
• Create a research question to guide your search
  • Try the PICO question development method

Acquire Evidence

• Where will you search?
• What keywords or subject headings will you use to find information on your topic?
• What types of studies or data will be most helpful in answering your question?
• Brainstorm answers to these questions, then search Health Research Databases to find the best evidence on your topic

Appraise the Evidence

• Critically appraise the evidence/research you found: what methodologies were used?  How was the data analyzed and reported?  Are the conclusions supported by the data?

Implement

• Consider what the evidence means in your situation, related to your stakeholders and their needs, and how it may be best implemented

Evaluate/Assess

• How did it work?  Did you see results that created the outcomes you were trying to achieve?  Do you need to adjust the implementation?  Do you need a different solution?

More information on 'Types of Studies' on this page from the Evidence Based Practice Tutorial at Duke University

Portions of the content on this page comes from the Arizona State University Exercise & Wellness LibGuide. Permission was obtained to share the above information on this LibGuide.