Evidence-based Practice and Quality Improvement in Allied Healthcare Education

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is acknowledged as a fundamental component of training for healthcare professionals, including respiratory therapists and other allied healthcare professionals. Understanding the key similarities, advantages and differences between it and quality improvement (QI) can help to advance allied healthcare education (AHE) and clinical practice. However, the differences between ”best EBP” and actual clinical care show how difficult it is to become competent in this field. Professional education to support EBP continues to be a significant and pressing concern. The importance of QI in medical education is becoming more widely recognized, which is also equipping allied health professionals with the knowledge and abilities to improve patient experiences and outcomes, population health, and monitoring and managing per capita healthcare costs. All frontline healthcare providers, including AHPs and RTs, should possess the fundamental capability to implement EBP and QI. Integrating EBP and QI into AHE improves the ability of AHPs to engage in safe clinical practice, which in turn increases the quality of patient care.