Improving research skills of healthcare professors to enhance evidence based practice in Northern Ecuador

This project will work on the need to invest in professionalization of the clinical field in Northern Ecuador by increasing research competences of the teaching staff and students of the Faculty of Health Sciences (Facultad de Ciencias de Salud - FCSALUD) of 'Univerisidad Técnica del Norte'(UTN). Evidence Based Practice (EBP) is known to be a key method to improve the quality of healthcare that meets the needs of the communities in zone 1 (Northern region), especially Indigenous ones. Therefore, we will increase the competences by (1) developing a blended learning course on EB research and (2) coaching at least 20 professors within interdisciplinary teams in setting up 8 EBP student projects to put these newly acquired skills into practice. The topics are chosen in collaboration with the local healthcare communities and the UTN and will result in research output such as Evidence Based papers and innovation in the field. As a result, a guideline on how to include EBP into the curricula will be implemented in at least one course of every participating program (n=4). As a multiplicator effect this project will strenghten the research competences of students and staff, but also leads to EBP and innnovation in the clinical field.