A Re-Consideration of What Constitutes “Evidence” in the Healthcare Professions

Abstract

The dominant discourses surrounding the debate on evidence-based healthcare takes for granted that the concept evidence is exclusively derived from randomized controlled trials. However, influenced by the experience of practicing clinicians, who assert that there are diverse sources of evidence, we contend that evidence-based practice can properly be inclusive of diverse forms of evidence including the results of all forms of rigorous research, expert opinion, and experience. The Joanna Briggs Institute model illustrates this broader definition of what counts as evidence which is seen as critical to developing the role and use of evidence-based healthcare within the complexity of practice settings globally.