Electronic clinic journaling: The use of weblogs to support evidence -based practice in doctor of audiology students

Abstract

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a strategy for the provision of high quality health care. The use of journals to document clinical experiences and reflection has been used in speech-language pathology as well as nursing and psychology. This study uses qualitative analysis to study what AuD students learn about evidence-based practice from writing and reading clinic Weblogs, as well as to investigate AuD students' reactions to writing and reading these Weblogs and evidence-based practice as they have experienced it. The value of sharing evidence supporting clinical practice via electronic clinic journals in the form of Weblogs among peers was explored. Analysis of Weblog content during the study period suggested that students learned very little about evidence based practice. However, interview data from students who had participated in the Weblog assignment indicated that students believed that they learned to find evidence to support clinical practices, could discuss evidence, and improved their abilities to consume research literature. Recommendations for modeling evidence-based practice and teaching students to read and understand research literature were made.