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Background
Introduction to the concept of evidence-based management (EBMgt) began in the late 1990s (Stewart, 1998). EBMgt is originally derived from evidence-based medicine (EBM). EBMgt is defined as making decisions about the management of employees, teams or organizations through the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of best available scientific evidence in conjunction with professional experiential evidence, organizational data and stakeholder concerns ([Center for Evidence-based Management CEBM], 2014).
Evidence based management is considered the best professional practice in management. However, a literature review suggests that it has not been widely adopted by healthcare administrators in their professional practice in the USA (Kovner and Rundall, 2006; Arndt and Bigelow, 2009; Damore, 2006; Hofmann, 2010). The literature review also reveals that the adoption of EBMgt has been slow among healthcare administrators in the USA (Walshe and Rundall, 2001), while clinical healthcare professionals have embraced evidence-based practice in healthcare (Amin et al. , 2007; Bartelt et al. , 2011; Heiwe et al. , 2011; Jette et al. , 2003; Shuval et al. , 2007).
Kovner and other scholars stated that EBMgt would improve the competence of decision-makers and their motivation to use more scientific methods in healthcare management decision-making (Kovner and Rundall, 2006; Pfeffer and Sutton, 2006). Healthcare administrators are health leaders whose decisions have a significant impact on the effectiveness of delivering quality patient care and on the success of healthcare organizations. Patient safety, quality of care and access, widespread demands for reducing the cost of care and value-based purchasing, all require healthcare administrators to take an evidence-based approach when making decisions. It is important for healthcare administrators to adopt an EBMgt approach to their administration and management. Health administrators are accountable for both their patients and their healthcare organizations. However, few studies have been published to examine whether healthcare leaders use an evidence-based approach for management decision-making.
Evidence is an important component of practicing EBMgt. Best available research evidence should be used for management decision-making, in conjunction with professional experience, organizational data and stakeholders' values and concerns (CEBM, 2014). According to the EBM pyramid (Figure 1), different levels of evidence can be utilized by physicians and other healthcare professionals for their clinical decision-making. Figure 1 depicts the levels of evidence from the bottom to the top. The...