Evidence-Based Health Practice

Valerie Wright-St Clair, Duncan Reid, Susan Shaw and Joanne Ramsbotham (Eds)
Oxford University Press Australia & New Zealand, Melbourne (2014)
526 pp., A$79.95
ISBN: 9780195585230

This textbook is written for undergraduate students in the health sciences targeting an interprofessional readership. The textbook is also very suitable for lecturers planning to teach research courses, with the chapters providing a template for topic and/or course content.

The book is well constructed: each chapter has an overview, a list of key terms specific to the chapter with a summary, reflection points and study questions at the end of the chapter. The information is presented in an easy to read, logical manner. Although each section and chapter may be read individually, it is advisable for the novice research student to read Section 1, where the five chapters provide an introduction to research processes and concepts.

Part 2 of the book provides the background for the conduct of research with specific population groups and identifying population-specific areas for research while acknowledging the cultural values and belief systems around health and research. For example, in Chapter 6 (Maori Research) the concepts of health are explained clearly and succinctly for this population group.

Chapter 7 (Pacific Research) and Chapter 8 (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) similarly discuss the impact of evidence-based research from the perspective of these populations, underscoring the fact that a ‘one size fits all’ approach to research is not applicable to these groups, nor to any population group. Chapter 9 emphasises the need for cultural awareness when conducting research in immigrant and refugee communities, highlighting the need for researchers to be culturally sensitive when engaging with culturally diverse communities.

The remainder of the book presents the readers with a ‘how to’ for evidence-based research by describing the research process in easy to understand steps. The reflection points and study questions at the end of each chapter are opportunities for readers to re-evaluate their own thinking around evidence-based research, and therefore their own research proposals. Later chapters direct the readers to processes for linking research to practice, supporting the information with well-developed case studies. This is evident in Chapter 21, where research findings are evaluated against clinical experiences informing nursing practice.

The discipline-specific research chapters use contemporary information to explain the outcomes of evidence-based research in a particular discipline. Chapters 32 and 33 (‘Interprofessional Learning’ and ‘Research in Interprofessional Practice’, respectively) effectively synthesise the knowledge in the preceding chapters, demonstrating in a practical sense the core principles of how evidence-based health practice evolves from research.

I recommend this book for use in research courses for undergraduate health sciences programs.

Maria Fedoruk
School of Nursing and Midwifery
University of South Australia
Adelaide