A survey for the readiness of Greek midwives for the adoption of evidence-based practice (EBP)

INTRODUCTION The holistic approach of healthcare practice in midwifery demands the use of evidence-based practice (EBP) in all aspects of clinical care. Applying EBP in every day healthcare practice by midwives offers various significant benefits. The aim of the present study was to investigate and assess the knowledge and awareness of midwives in Greece with regard to EBP. METHODS Data collection took place from October 2012 to January 2013 among midwifery staff within two national 'urban' healthcare hospitals of Athens and the department of midwifery in the Athens Technological Institute. The sample consisted of 209 participants of which 109 were midwives and 100 student midwifes. Both were invited to complete a questionnaire specifically designed for the study. RESULTS Only 43.5% of midwives declared awareness of the term EBP, while 36.4% had to search for general evidence about twice a month in order to support their role. The first source of information to support clinical practice was found to be 'asking colleagues' (52.2%) followed by 'internet search in general' (48.8%), but not in the EBP databases. In addition, 61.2% of respondents stated that EBP would definitely contribute to the provision of better quality midwifery care. CONCLUSIONS For a successful implementation of EBP, it is required initially to train personnel to develop their abilities, to provide information on the way to use different data sources and encourage midwifery personnel to take initiatives and be part of the decisionmaking process.