EBD Step 2: Find Sources for Relevant Evidence

In addition to defining the issues and problems, consider what additional questions need to be raised and the evidence that might be used to inform decisions. Learn about what others have done through benchmarking visits or interviews to establish some early ideas to guide the project.

In a clinic setting, this may include better understanding models of care, their delivery, and how this affects the building layout and space requirements. Your questions may focus on how effectively you are able to deliver care in the new model by measuring throughput times, compliance, and satisfaction. You may want to engage a researcher to help identify research questions, but you may be able to identify certain questions and related metrics on your own through information you already gather.

Initially, it is important to identify all types of evidence, such as published papers, case studies, peer interviews, site visits, and structured benchmarking. The type of evidence may be tied to the type of information your team is trying to learn – newer information may only be found while conducting a site visit, rather than in a published format.

There are very few peer-reviewed published papers that will identify conditions specific to clinic settings, however, information can often be extrapolated from other environments, whether acute care or ambulatory care. It is important to get help understanding how less rigorous sources can still be applied to a clinic setting. This may be through a researcher or someone well-versed in the EBD process who can establish some guidelines for how you might best use the information collected.