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Regional and rural allied health professionals in Australia need better information services training and support for evidence‐based practice.
- Source :
- Health Information & Libraries Journal; Dec2021, Vol. 38 Issue 4, p281-294, 14p, 6 Charts, 1 Graph
- Publication Year :
- 2021
-
Abstract
- Background: Evidence‐based practice requires health professionals to recognise situations of uncertainty in their practice, translate that uncertainty into answerable questions, and find and appraise information relevant to those questions. No research to date has explored the research‐based information needs of allied health professionals (AHPs) in regional and rural Australia. Objective: To examine the information‐seeking experiences and needs of AHPs in regional and rural Australia. Methods: A total of 80 AHPs, predominantly occupational therapists and physiotherapists, practising in regional and rural areas of Australia completed an online survey. Results: Almost all respondents reported having questions requiring research evidence, but most of their questions were worded non‐specifically. Respondents practising in rural areas had greater perceived difficulty in obtaining relevant evidence than their regional counterparts. Many respondents reported wanting additional support to find relevant research evidence. Discussion: The findings offer insights regarding information‐seeking challenges AHPs face and potential solutions, including improved training and increased health librarian support. However, due to sampling limitations, the results cannot be generalised to all allied health professions. Conclusion: Allied health professionals may require more training and support to engage in efficient and effective information‐seeking behaviours. Health librarians have a valuable role to play in providing this training and support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- MEDICAL education
ALLIED health education
PROFESSIONAL practice
OCCUPATIONAL roles
HUMAN research subjects
INFORMATION services
ATTITUDE (Psychology)
PROFESSIONAL employee training
ATTITUDES of medical personnel
CROSS-sectional method
PATIENT selection
EVIDENCE-based medicine
MEDICAL personnel
POPULATION geography
LIBRARY public services
CONTINUING education
INFORMATION literacy
INFORMATION resources
ACCESS to information
OCCUPATIONAL therapy services
DESCRIPTIVE statistics
RURAL health
INFORMATION-seeking behavior
INFORMATION needs
JUDGMENT sampling
DATA analysis software
CONTENT analysis
PHYSICAL therapists' attitudes
OCCUPATIONAL therapists
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 14711834
- Volume :
- 38
- Issue :
- 4
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Health Information & Libraries Journal
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 154219088
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1111/hir.12368