Evidence-based Practice Comfortability Improvements for School-based Practitioners
Authors:
Christine Kim, OT, OTD & Margaret Morris, OT, OTD
Abstract:
School-based occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) work under legislative requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA); one requirement is to use “scientifically-based research”. The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) describes our profession as ‘evidence-based’ in its mission. OTPs continue to describe challenges with translating evidence; one recommended support for knowledge translation is the Community of Practice (CoP). This project discusses the process and outcome of a 10-month CoP for U.S. OTPs in schools (n=20); outcomes measured with the Evidence-Based Practice Confidence (EPIC) scale and interviews 6 months post participation. Interviews reveal various themes across all participants who interviewed (n=10). Results highlight the effectiveness of CoPs and the continuing need of EBP education and implementation.
Key Words:
school-based occupational therapy, evidence-based practice (EBP), community of practice (CoP)