Dear colleagues,

I am interested in identifying a reasonably brief measure of manager attitudes and practices regarding the use of evidence to inform their decision-making.  The target audience is U.S. healthcare managers, some of whom participate as mentors to students conducting research projects.  The question we seek to test is whether and how this activity influences their appreciation for, and use of evidence / evidence-based approaches in other aspects of their jobs.

Many thanks in advance for any advice / suggestions.

Andy

=========================================================================== ==
Andrew N. Garman, PsyD, MS
Department of Health Systems Management, Rush University &
National Center for Healthcare Leadership
1700 W. Van Buren St., Ste 126B
Chicago, IL  60612
Phone:  312-942-5402
Email:  Andy_N_Gar...@rush.edu

Hi Andy

Good question.  Eric Barends and others have developed measures which attempt to examine what sort of evidence managers use which perhaps don't quite get at attitudes.  There's also this thing:

http://www.evidence-basedmanagement.com/research_practice/articles/br...

But I certainly wouldn't describe it as a measure.  More a self-reflection sort of exercise but perhaps it could be adapted?

Perhaps you need a more focused kind of measure that explores manager reactions to the research findings conducted by the students they are mentoring.  Perhaps some qualitative work first talking to the managers and the students about responses to project findings would give you some clues about what to look at and how you can do it.

Cheers

Rob

Rob B Briner | Professor of Organizational Psychology | School of Management | University of Bath

From: evidence-based-management@googlegroups.com [mailto:evidence-based-management@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Andy N Garman
Sent: 29 September 2011 20:59
To: evidence-based-management@googlegroups.com
Subject: Seeking measures of practitioner attitudes / practices re: use of evidence

Dear colleagues,

I am interested in identifying a reasonably brief measure of manager attitudes and practices regarding the use of evidence to inform their decision-making.  The target audience is U.S. healthcare managers, some of whom participate as mentors to students conducting research projects.  The question we seek to test is whether and how this activity influences their appreciation for, and use of evidence / evidence-based approaches in other aspects of their jobs.

Many thanks in advance for any advice / suggestions.

Andy

=========================================================================== ==
Andrew N. Garman, PsyD, MS
Department of Health Systems Management, Rush University &
National Center for Healthcare Leadership
1700 W. Van Buren St., Ste 126B
Chicago, IL  60612
Phone:  312-942-5402
Email:  Andy_N_Gar...@rush.edu<mailto:Andy_N_Gar...@rush.edu>

Hi Andy:

I have done some preliminary thinking about the need to identify
relevant constructs and develop appropriate measures, but don't have
anything for you yet. Measure development and validation is a project
which would probably best involve collaboration among interested members
of the collaborative (e.g., construct clarification, item writing, item
vetting, getting samples for validation studies).

In the interim, you may find some useful references in other fields.
Here are three...

Aarons, Glisson, Hoagwood, Kelleher, Landsverk, & Cafri (2010).
Psychometric properties and U.S. National Norms of the Evidence-Based
Practice Attitude Scale (EBPAS). Psychological Assessment, 22(2),
356-365. [Geared to mental health and social service providers.]

Rubin & Parrish (2009). Development and Validation of the
Evidence-Based Practice Process Assessment Scale. Research on Social
Work Practice, doi:10.1177/1049731508329420 [The article provides the
items as an Appendix. The dimensions are familiarity, attitudes about,
feasibility to engage in, and intentions to engage in evidence-based
practice. Social work focus, but potentially adaptable.]

Shaneyfeldt, Baum, Bell, Feldstein, Houston, Kaatz, Whelan, & Green
(2006). Instruments for Evaluating Education in Evidence-Based Practice:
A Systematic Review. JAMA, 296(9), 1116-1127. [Reviewed 104 instruments
used to evaluate teaching of EBP in medicine. Knowledge, skills,
attitudes, and behavior domains were examined. "Assessing EBP attitudes
may uncover hidden but potentially remediable barriers to trainees' EBP
skill development and performance. However, while several instruments
contain a few attitude items, few instruments assess this domain in
depth. Moreover, no attitude instrument in this review met our quality
criteria for establishment of validity...." (p. 1124)

Blake

I am interested in identifying a reasonably brief measure of manager
attitudes and practices regarding the use of evidence to inform their
decision-making.  The target audience is U.S. healthcare managers, some
of whom participate as mentors to students conducting research projects.
 The question we seek to test is whether and how this activity
influences their appreciation for, and use of evidence / evidence-based
approaches in other aspects of their jobs.  

Many thanks in advance for any advice / suggestions.

Andy

=========================================================================== ==
Andrew N. Garman, PsyD, MS
Department of Health Systems Management, Rush University &
National Center for Healthcare Leadership
1700 W. Van Buren St., Ste 126B
Chicago, IL  60612
Phone:  312-942-5402
Email:  Andy_N_Gar...@rush.edu

Hi Andy, Blake (and all others),

Thank you for the references.

Another instrument that might be useful is the BARRIERS to Research
Utilization Scale, developed by Funk (1991). This 29-item questionnaire is used
to identify the barriers to practice EBP. This questionnaire is validated by using
samples of American hospital nurses, but is also translated to other disciplines such as surgeons, GP’s, social workers, etc. Some of the items are
relevant for the field of management as well.

Regarding the field of management, very little is known about
practitioners’ attitudes towards EBP, the extent of their skills to access and
interpret evidence, the barriers to moving from opinion-based to EBP, and the
additional support necessary to incorporate EBP into their everyday practice (yes, I
know the management
field shows a broad consensus on the existence of a practice - knowledge gap, but
as far as I know most of the evidence is anecdotal).

We
therefore developed a survey to determine practitioners’ (managers and
consultants) attitudes towards EBP and to identify barriers to practice EBP. We
used the BARRIERS and two other instruments as a
foundation for a 30-item questionnaire. We have now about 600 (Dutch) completes,
and we now are looking for a sample of non-Dutch practitioners. As Blake pointed
out: measure development and
validation is a project which would probably best involve
collaboration among interested members of the collaborative.

Therefore, any help
is welcome!

Eric

Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2011 07:18:56 -0300
From: bjel...@upei.ca
To: evidence-based-management@googlegroups.com
Subject: Seeking measures of practitioner attitudes / practices re: use of evidence

Hi Andy:

I have done some preliminary thinking about the need to identify relevant constructs and develop appropriate measures, but don't have anything for you yet. Measure development and validation is a project which would probably best involve collaboration among interested members of the collaborative (e.g., construct clarification, item writing, item vetting, getting samples for validation studies).

In the interim, you may find some useful references in other fields. Here are three...

Aarons, Glisson, Hoagwood, Kelleher, Landsverk, & Cafri (2010). Psychometric properties and U.S. National Norms of the Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale (EBPAS). Psychological Assessment, 22(2), 356-365. [Geared to mental health and social service providers.]

Rubin & Parrish (2009). Development and Validation of the Evidence-Based Practice Process Assessment Scale. Research on Social Work Practice, doi:10.1177/1049731508329420 [The article provides the items as an Appendix. The dimensions are familiarity, attitudes about, feasibility to engage in, and intentions to engage in evidence-based practice. Social work focus, but potentially adaptable.]

Shaneyfeldt, Baum, Bell, Feldstein, Houston, Kaatz, Whelan, & Green (2006). Instruments for Evaluating Education in Evidence-Based Practice: A Systematic Review. JAMA, 296(9), 1116-1127. [Reviewed 104 instruments used to evaluate teaching of EBP in medicine. Knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behavior domains were examined. "Assessing EBP attitudes may uncover hidden but potentially remediable barriers to trainees' EBP skill development and performance. However, while several instruments contain a few attitude items, few instruments assess this domain in depth. Moreover, no attitude instrument in this review met our quality criteria for establishment of validity...." (p. 1124)

Blake

I am interested in identifying a reasonably brief measure of manager attitudes and practices regarding the use of evidence to inform their decision-making.  The target audience is U.S. healthcare managers, some of whom participate as mentors to students conducting research projects.  The question we seek to test is whether and how this activity influences their appreciation for, and use of evidence / evidence-based approaches in other aspects of their jobs.  

Many thanks in advance for any advice / suggestions.

Andy

=========================================================================== ==
Andrew N. Garman, PsyD, MS
Department of Health Systems Management, Rush University &
National Center for Healthcare Leadership
1700 W. Van Buren St., Ste 126B
Chicago, IL  60612
Phone:  312-942-5402
Email:  Andy_N_Gar...@rush.edu