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Although "evidence-based practice" has become a buzz word in the last few years, there is still no consensus on what exactly constitutes an evidence-based practice. A practice can have excellent research qualities-it can be extensively tested with randomized clinical trials, have a detailed treatment manual, and perform well with a variety of clients in controlled research studies, but still not meet practical considerations that determine its applicability to the field. For example, if it is costly to train staff, if the manuals are expensive or if insurance or other forms of payment do not cover the treatment, the practice is useless in the field. Through recent CSAT Practice Improvement Collaborative (PIC) funding, Iowa developed a set of criteria to evaluate new and existing practices. These criteria combine demonstration of research evidence with practical considerations in an attempt to operationalize evidence-based practice for our state.
Treatment professionals must also explore the definitional differences between programs and practices. Quality Improvement agendas will need to distinguish between the two in an effort to sort what types of implementation is viable for Iowa.