Paper
Friday, 21 July 2006
This presentation is part of : Research Theory and Methods
Methodological Issues in Employing Evidence-Based Practice Cross-Culturally
Carolyn F. Waltz, RN, PhD, FAAN, Office of International Activities, University of Maryland, School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD, USA and Sue Song, APRN-PMH, PhD, Delmarva Family Resources USA,, Chung Nam University, South Korea, Easton, MD, USA.
Learning Objective #1: Identify conditions necessary for reliable and valid use of evidence across cultures
Learning Objective #2: Identify strategies for determining the transferability of evidence from one culture to another
Evidence-based practice (EBP) according to Cook and Levy (l998) is the “explicit integrating of clinical research evidence with pathophysiologic reasoning, health provider experience, and patient preferences in the provision of care”. When  EBP  is employed it is essential to evaluate the reliability and validity of available information   within the practice setting in which it will be employed.

To ensure that evidence meets the conditions necessary for reliable and valid use across cultures, when evaluating evidence for use in another culture, consideration needs to be given to: relevance of the concept of interest that served as the basis for the study, research methods employed including the tools and methods used to collect data, and translation strategies employed during the conduct and/or reporting of study findings, and cultural practices that may differentially affect patient preferences and resultant outcomes. 

This paper examines conditions under which evidence resulting from research in the area of mental health nursing can be used across cultures employing examples from the American and Korean cultures resulting from ongoing collaborative efforts between nurses in the two countries. Strategies  found useful in making decisions regarding the transferability of the evidence  from one culture to the other in terms of  evidence source, clinical significance, applicability, feasibility , and cost/benefit are suggested.. 
Reference: 

Cook, D.J. & Levy, M.M. (1998) Evidence-based medicine. Critical Care Clinics, 14,353-358.   

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