The NHS has
adopted the principles of evidence-based practice
to prevent patients receiving treatment based on
unproven opinions of individual clinicians. The sheer
volume of available literature on evidence-based
practice illustrate this point. Hicks (1997) suggests
that nurses have not fully embraced evidence-based
practice, and that it is often a difficult and misunderstood
concept (Griffiths 1999). Nevertheless, it
is unacceptable that a patient might receive clinical
care that is not based on best practice. In reality,
DRF has never been based on research evidence
and continues to be performed.