Encouraging Best Practice in Residential Aged Care Program: Final Evaluation Report
2.3 - Summary
- Key Messages
- Executive Summary
- About This Report
1 - Introduction
2 - Evidence, Changes in Practice and the EBPRAC Program- 3 - Program Delivery/Implementation
- 4 - Program Impact
- 5 - Capacity Building
- 6 - Generalisability
- 7 - Sustainability
- 8 - Dissemination
- 9 - Appropriateness
- 10 - Cost Implications for Government and Aged Care Providers
- 11 - Perceptions of High-Level Stakeholders
- 12 - Discussion and Conclusions
- 13 - Recommendations
- References
- Appendices 1 to 6
- Appendices 7 to 12
- Appendices 13 to 17
Evidence is constantly evolving and the examples above indicate that there is scope for greater coordination to avoid duplication, facilitate consistency in the production of evidence, share knowledge about how best to implement evidence-based practice and link the various resources that are available. Over 1,000 articles are published each year just on dementia, and this number is steadily increasing (Draper, Low et al. 2009). Although many of those articles may not be relevant to residential aged care it gives an indication of how rapidly knowledge is expanding.
In a recent publication Buchan et al (2010) identified that between 2003 and 2007 a total of 313 clinical practice guidelines were produced or reviewed for use in Australia. Interestingly, only 29% were classified as ‘evidence-documented’. It is reasonable to assume the rate of production of such guidelines has not diminished in the last 2-3 years. Although many of these guidelines are not applicable to residential aged care this data gives an indication of the scale of activity in this area. The authors conclude ‘a more coordinated approach to identifying national priorities for developing and updating clinical practice guidelines may produce better returns on investment in Australian guidelines’ (Buchan, Currie et al. 2010, p 490).
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