AACAP 2005 Research Forum: Speeding the Adoption of Evidence-Based Practice in Pediatric Psychiatry

ABSTRACTObjectives:At the 2005 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), the Academy's Workgroup on Research conducted a Research Forum entitled “Increasing Research Literacy Through the Adoption of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in Pediatric Psychiatry.”Method:Forum participants focused on speeding the adoption of EBP across five areas: EBP as the preferred heuristic for teaching research literacy, use of EBP in training programs, dissemination of EBP in clinical practice, EBP in partnership with industry, and EBP as a framework for developing practice guidelines.Results:EBP provides an easy-to-understand method for accessing and evaluating the research literature and then applying this information to decisions about patient care. Although EBP has been gaining greater visibility in pediatric psychiatry, it is far from the preferred heuristic. To move the field toward fully embracing EBP will require greater understanding of what EBP is (and is not), educating mental health professionals in EBP skills, access to EBP resources, and a commitment to apply EBP to the conceptualization and design of research protocols and practice guidelines.Conclusions:Pediatric psychiatry would benefit from a principled commitment to follow other areas of medicine in adopting EBP.