Developing evidence-informed decision making in a hospice: an evaluation of organisational readiness.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Multiprofessional home care and hospice teams should play a part in evidence-informed decision making. AIMS: To assess organisational readiness to adopt evidence-informed decision making in a hospice in England. DESIGN: A mixed-methods approach was used. Clinical staff were surveyed regarding their attitudes to and skills in using evidence, and senior managers completed an organisation-based self-assessment tool recording the readiness of the organisation to embrace an evidence-informed focus. RESULTS: 81% of the staff completed the survey. Staff were committed to the principles of evidence-informed decision making, but overall lacked the necessary knowledge and skills. Information obtained from the management self-assessment highlighted that a priority was to develop an evidence-informed decision-making culture focusing on education, training, and policy development. CONCLUSION: The process used in this evaluation may be applicable to other areas of health care when assessing an organisation's readiness to incorporate evidence-informed decision making into policy and procedure.