380P
OUTREACH WORKING IN THE EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE ERA: UTOPIA OR AVANT-GARDE?
F Côté1, G Mario2, I Têtu2, S Mercure1, J Gagnon1
¹Université Laval; 2Point de Repères, Québec, Québec
Objectives: Evidence-based practice makes use of the best evidence available to complement field expertise. While gaining increasing popularity in various health and social fields, this approach is not fully exploited by outreach workers from needle exchange programmes (NEPs). Because it requires finding and understanding scientific research results, most outreach workers might not possess all the skills needed to engage in such a practice change. To overcome this barrier, a partnership was developed between Point de Repères (PdR, a Québec City NEP) and Laval University. The aim of this ongoing collaboration is to enable outreach workers to optimize their interventions by making a better use of scientific knowledge from research fields such as HIV/AIDS and harm reduction.
Methods: Outreach workers' needs were first assessed through a focus group with ten PdR workers. Their specific concerns were categorized and prioritized in a second meeting. Starting with the most important questions, an outreach worker and a graduate student developed field-adapted evidence-based documents. The material produced was adjusted following outreach workers recommendations.
Results: Practical guidelines corresponding to outreach workers needs are now being used on a daily basis at PdR. The gap between knowledge and practice is thus being reduced. Doing so, positive effects appeared among outreach workers and IDUs: the former feel more confident in their interventions, the latter consult more readily for health problems.
Conclusion: This project is a good example of a community-university collaboration in which both partners recognize their co-workers value. Not only are the action and formal knowledge shared, but so are the particular methods associated with them. This point is not trivial. For instance, by helping the community partner to develop skills in evidence-based integration, it insures this project's long term maintenance. The process offers optimal practices, with the ultimate goal of helping vulnerable people gaining a better quality of life.