Dalarna University's logo and link to the university's website

Background and aim: With the intention to do more good than harm, it is important to rely on practice that is rooted in evidence-based guidelines so that clients are given the exact care they need. Thus, from a client safety perspective, the social worker needs to apply evidence-based practice (EBP). Learning more about the medical social workers’ perceptions of EBP has the potential to contribute to an increased understanding of how best available knowledge can be implemented in medical social work settings to provide high quality and safe practice to clients. Therefore the aim of this study was to explore medical social workers’ perceptions of evidence-based practice (EBP), including factors relevant for the successful implementation of evidence into medical social work practice.

Methods: This is a qualitative study. Eight focus group interviews were conducted that included 27 medical social workers. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

Results: Analysis resulted in two categories: “knowledge in practice” and “challenges in relation to the implementation of EBP” and four subcategories: “practice based on research evidence or experience”, “obtaining new evidence of practice”, “research and the social work context”, and “barriers and facilitating factors”. Participants tended to perceive EBP as theoretical and positivistic while perceiving their own knowledge as eclectic and experience-based. Although they perceived the relevance of research findings to their practice, they expressed a need for support to translate research into policy and practice. They also reported that studies about their specific work were scarce.

Conclusion and implications: The facilitating factors suggested by the medical social workers which concerned, e.g., a specially designated person responsible for supporting the increased use of research findings, support for prioritization of time, increased opportunities for the sharing of knowledge, and time for consultations, need to be considered when promoting the implementation of EBP within medical social work settings. The medical social workers’ suggestion for the facilitation of knowledge exchange needs further investigation.