Explain the role of research for evidence-based practice in Health and Social Care.

Assignment Brief

Unit 4: Fundamentals of Evidence-based Practice

Unit Learning Outcomes:

LO1: Explain the role of research for evidence-based practice in Health and Social Care.

• Explain why is evidence-based practice important in Health and Social Care
• Describe the purpose and the process of conducting evidence-based practice in Health and Social Care
• Explain which skills and qualities do you need to conduct a literature review
• Analyse your own skills and knowledge in being able to conduct a literature review
• Evaluate which skills are required to conduct ethical research which could have a positive influence on practice and provision in Health and Social Care

LO2: Conduct a review of key literature relating to a research topic towards improvements in care practice.

The chosen topic is: Communication skills in practice: the influence of communication skills and techniques on outcomes for service users in a health and social care service.

Communication skills in practice: the influence of communication skills and techniques on outcomes for service users in a health or social care service.

• Conduct a literature review using a range of sources (at least 5) relating to the research topic.
• Explain your results of the literature review
• Summarise current knowledge about communication
• Evaluate how reliable and valid is your literature review

LO3: Develop a project proposal using evidence-based practice.

• Explain the benefits of evidence-based practice as a method in carrying out research
• Produce a project proposal for a proposed study based on research topic. Explain what is your proposed research project and how does it relate to communication
• Justify rationale for proposed research study based on research on research topic. Why have you chosen your proposed research project and why is it important?
• Critically assess the viability of own project proposal in relation to the literature review conducted. Thinking about your literature review, how viable is your proposal?

LO4: Examine the value of the literature review process in influencing positive change in health, care or support service provision

• Describe different ways in which the literature review influences evidence-based health and social care practice. What are some examples of how the literature review influences evidence-based practice in health and social care?
• Explain how recent research has had a positive impact on current practice to improve service delivery. How has recent research had a positive impact on current practice to improve the delivery of service?
• Analyse how the personal research process has an impact on own learning and practice in the workplace. How has your personal research had an impact on your own learning and practice in the workplace?
• Evaluated own journey towards contributing to innovation and improvement in evidencebased health, care or support practice and service delivery. How have you contributed towards innovation and improvement in evidence-based health, care or support practice and service delivery? How have you performed during this time?

Sample Answer

Introduction

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a way of working in health and social care that helps professionals make better decisions by using the best available evidence. This approach is important because it leads to higher quality care, improves patient experiences, and supports positive changes across the sector. In this paper, we will explain the role of research in EBP, review key literature, create a basic project proposal based on evidence, and explain how the literature review can help improve services in health and social care.

1. The Role of Research for Evidence-Based Practice

Research plays a vital role in EBP because it gives us facts and findings that help inform care decisions. Instead of just following tradition or guessing, professionals can rely on research to guide them. In health and social care, research helps in:

• Understanding diseases and conditions (e.g., causes, symptoms, treatments)

• Measuring patient satisfaction or the impact of a service

• Improving working practices (e.g., better teamwork or communication)

• Helping people live healthier and safer lives

For example, if research shows that people recover better at home than in hospitals, care providers may start more home-based care programmes. Research also helps staff stay up-to-date with new developments, which supports a high-quality and skilled workforce.

2. Conducting a Literature Review

A literature review means reading and summarising past research on a topic to understand what is already known. For this unit, we can choose a topic like improving mental health support for young people. To carry out a literature review, we follow these steps:

• Choose a topic: Let’s say we want to explore how schools can support students with anxiety.
• Find sources: Use trusted databases like PubMed or NICE to find journals, reports, and academic articles.
• Check the quality: Only use sources that are reliable, up-to-date, and peer-reviewed.
• Look for themes: What do different researchers say about the problem? Are there any common ideas, disagreements, or gaps?
• Write the review: Summarise what the evidence says, compare findings, and discuss what’s missing or what still needs to be researched.

3. Developing a Project Proposal Using Evidence-Based Practice

Based on the literature review, we can create a project proposal. Let’s continue with the mental health support topic. The proposal could look like this:

Title: Improving Mental Health Support for Secondary School Students with Anxiety

Aim: To explore how introducing mindfulness sessions in schools can help students manage anxiety.

Objectives:

• Review existing mindfulness programmes used in schools

• Interview staff and students about their experiences

• Measure anxiety levels before and after the programme

Method:

• Use questionnaires and interviews

• Compare results before and after mindfulness sessions

• Analyse data to see if the sessions made a positive difference

Expected Outcomes:

• Better understanding of how mindfulness helps students

• Recommendations for schools on how to support mental health

This shows how research and evidence can directly lead to positive action in health and care settings.

Continued...