gms | German Medical Science

Background and objectives: In the past years, many frameworks were developed in order to guide researchers, practitioners and funding agencies to increase and assess the use of evidence-based practices (EBP) (e.g. CAHS, 2009; Graham et al., 2006; Medical Research Council, 2010). However, those advancements were mostly made in the health field, and there is a need to propose a valid framework that can be applied across different fields (Proctor et al., 2009; Ward, 2010). This study aims at (1) examining the specificity of the implementation and the assessment processes of EBP in four different fields; (2) proposing a framework to describe the implementation and the assessment processes of EBP, which can be applied across these different fields.

Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 35 researchers and 45 practitioners from four different fields (1) art, media and communication; (2) health and social services; (3) education; (4) economic, urban and environmental planning. The development and the validation of the framework were done collaboratively with an important funding agency in Canada.

Results, discussion and implications: Seven categories of determinants and four types of strategies, which can be used to increase EBP, are included in the final framework. The framework also provides a comprehensive classification of 16 categories of impact that can be used to assess EBP. Although this framework is a great tool to guide the implementation and the assessment of EBP across different fields, the challenges associated with its use will also be discussed.