Principles of Evidence Based Practices

Evidenced-based practice refers to using treatments or therapies proved to be effective. The concept was developed by Archie Cochrane, an epidemiologist who believed health care should be based on the best available evidence. The Cochrane Collaboration is a non-governmental organization working within the World Health Organization. Evidence-based practice standards were first applied in mental health. The term highlights the importance of therapies demonstrated to be beneficial versus those whose effectiveness was only backed by theory. Another term for evidence-based practice is empirically supported treatment.

Reliable and Valid

• Valid research measures what is intended and can be reliably replicated.

  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration or SAMSHA provides an on-line National Registry of Evidence-based Practices and Programs or NREPP. NREEP lists principles of evidence-based practice. First, the research labeled evidence-based must be reliable and valid. Valid research measures the variable intended. For instance, measuring alcohol use without taking accounting for body size or sex would not be a valid measure. A reliable measurement is one that will be agreed upon, regardless of the researcher involved.

Intervention Fidelity

• Evidence-based practice requires fidelity to the model of treatment.

  When describing a treatment in fields, such as psychology, where treatment involves interactions and behaviors, rather than less subjective treatments, care must be taken to provide the exact treatment prescribed by the research. Ensuring fidelity to the model, whether it is a twelve-step program, cognitive therapy or behavior modification, is another principle of evidence-based practice.

Productivity, Effectiveness and Efficiency

• A good treatment will increase productivity, efficiency or effectiveness.

  Analysis of the data must show that the practice increases productivity, effectiveness or efficiency. For example, substance abusers use less of a substance after the treatment, or the type of therapy used for depression is effective in fewer sessions than other treatments. In addition, the analysis of the data must indicate that confounding variables did not muddle the interpretation of the results. Finding that two groups compared were not actually comparable (for example, one group was much poorer or older) would nullify the results.

Readiness for Dissemination

• Treatments must be practical and ready for dissemination.

  Finally, an evidenced-based practice must be practical. The North Carolina Division of Community Corrections, for instance, lists evidence-based practices, and their practical interpretations, such as involving the offender in structured activities 40 to 70 percent of the time. The Oregon Commission on Children and Families notes that skill training is most effective in natural environments, making the training easy to disseminate while working in the child's own community. Evidence-based practice principles determine which treatments are worth implementing and disseminating.