Development and implementation of an online hybrid model for teaching evidence-based practice to health professions: processes and outcomes from an Australian experience

Evidence-based practice is now considered to be a vital element of health care service delivery. The call to use evidence to inform other areas, such as teaching and learning, is growing. This paper reports on the processes used to integrate best evidence into teaching practices within an undergraduate health science program. An existing course within this program at an Australian tertiary institution was remodeled by a newly appointed course coordinator in response to critical feedback from student cohorts. A systematic, iterative, five-step approach was used in the development of the new course. The process of development was influenced by current research evidence, an audit of the existing course, and critical feedback from students. The new course was evaluated using quantitative and qualitative research methods for five study periods. In 2005, prior to implementing the changes, the overall student satisfaction rating for the course was zero (representing the lowest possible score). In 2006, the overall student satisfaction rating was 62.07, in 2007 it was 65.8, and in 2008 it was 55.7. Qualitative findings also supported these quantitative findings, indicating improvements in the structure and process of the new course. The outcomes from the evaluation of the remodeled course provide evidence of a consistent quality learning experience for students, and support the concept of using research evidence to guide the development of teaching and learning practices in the training of health professionals.