Psychometric properties of questionnaires to assess evidence-based practice among occupational, physical and speech therapists -- A systematic review

i) Rationale, aims and objectives Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a well-known core healthcare competence, but the clinical implementation is complex. To be able to facilitate EBP implementation, valid measurement of the “EBP-status quo” is essential. Therefore, we aimed to identify valid tools for EBP status assessment among health practitioners in Germany. ii) Methods The databases MEDLINE (via Pubmed), Cochrane and PEDro were systematically searched until July 2019, to update a previous review from 2013. Methodological quality and evidence level was scored by two independent raters via: i) COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist, ii) updated criteria for good measurement properties, and iii) modified GRADE criteria. iii) Results Overall, 3.467 studies were identified with 20 different EBP-questionnaires included in 38 studies on EBP tool development and/or validation. Most questionnaires demonstrated moderate or low-quality evidence for the psychometric properties tested. While validity properties (content, structural and cross-cultural) were assessed more frequently, reliability was tested in 20% of the questionnaires and responsiveness in one tool. iv) Conclusion Although a lack of high-quality psychometric properties of EBP-tools became apparent, the “Evidence-Based Practice Inventory” (EBPI) appears to be the best validated and reliable tool for a survey among German health practitioners.