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Thank you for the article by Kenn Apel and Trisha Self in the Sept. 9 issue of The ASHA Leader ("Evidence-Based Practice: The Marriage of Research and Clinical Services"). I work in a teaching hospital and have been challenged by new residents regarding "proof" (i.e., evidence-based practice) that our efforts in dysphagia management really make a difference. My initial reactions were to become defensive as I responded, "Well, of course they do!" As I began a search of the current literature, I was disappointed to find only a few articles regarding patient outcomes that lent support to our profession. When Apel and Self defined evidence-based practice as the union of research and clinical services, it helped me to realize that this is a good thing! We need to be able to stand behind our therapy modalities and be accountable to the patient, the family, the third-party payers, our employers, and ourselves. Each and every treatment session must make sense and must make a difference; otherwise, we are wasting time and money, and giving patients and families false hope. It is our responsibility to work together from the clinical and research arenas to provide the information needed to show that we do have a positive impact on patient outcomes (and yes, length of stay). Thank you for my new attitude about evidence-based practice. It’s all about ethics.
Lori Willis
Greensboro, NC
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