Iowa Model - An Evidence Based Practice Model

Understanding the Iowa Model

This section provides an overview of the Iowa Model and its steps for clinical practice question identification, literature review, evidence evaluation, change implementation, and outcome evaluation.

Identifying Clinical Practice Questions

• Clinical practice questions are triggered by identifying a problem or new knowledge.

• Assess whether the topic aligns with organizational priorities.

• If aligned, form a team to search for relevant literature individually or in pairs.

Critiquing Literature

• After retrieving literature, gather as a group to critique validity, reliability, strengths, weaknesses, and relevance.

• Determine if the evidence is sufficient to recommend a change in practice.

• If insufficient evidence, review additional literature may be required.

Recommending Change in Practice

• If evidence supports a change in practice, consider piloting the change.

• New knowledge from other literature or studies can also lead to piloting changes.

• Evaluate if the pilot is appropriate for adoption. If not, continue evaluating quality of care and generating new knowledge.

Implementing Change Hospital-Wide

• If pilot outcomes are positive and the change is appropriate for adoption, implement it hospital-wide.

• Regularly monitor and analyze structure and outcomes after implementation.

Sharing Results

• At the end of the process, share results obtained from implementing changes.