The Influence of Type of Healthcare Provider on Clinical Practice Guideline Adoption

Abstract

Millions of dollars are spent in the development and conduct of research to improve patient care (Dufault, 2004), yet it may take as long as 15 years for this newly discovered knowledge to be translated to clinical practice (Dobbins, Ciliska, Cockerill, Barnsley, & DiCenso, 2002; Donaldson, Rutledge, & Ashley, 2004; Olsen, Aisner, & McGinnis, 2007). Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) such as those designed to aid in the prevention and/or management of postoperative/postdischarge nausea and vomiting (PONV/PDNV) (American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses, 2006; Gan et al., 2003; Gan et al., 2007) provide a key link between evidence-based knowledge and healthcare practice and offer a mechanism to advance the quality and equity of patient care through the translation of evidence to clinical practice (Larson, 2003; Lia-Hoagberg, Schaffer, & Strohschein, 1999). Care based on evidence-based CPGs has been recognized by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) as a key component of safe, quality patient care (Institute of Medicine, 2001). Findings from numerous studies conducted in acute and primary care settings consistently support this association (Coopmans, 2005; De Jonghe et al., 2005; Di Blasio, Rhee, Cho, Scardino, & Kattan, 2003; Fanning, 2002; Hunt, Haynes, Hanna, & Smith, 1998; Patel, Arocha, Diermeier, How, & Mottur-Pilson, 2001; Rushforth, 2005).