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clinics. The study population consisted of practitioners who worked in specialty rheumatology practices. The participants were all Abstract Objective: Research on the use of research in rheumatology practice is largely lacking. This study attempts to fill this knowledge gap by exploring the degree to which evidence-based practice (EBP) is implemented in clinical rheumatology practice and identifying individual and organizational factors that may potentially affect research use in the clinical environment. Methods: A web-based questionnaire was distributed to members of health professional groups in clinical rheumatology by way of publicly available e-mail addresses. Data were collected on sociodemographic, social cognitive, and contextual factors deemed to potentially influence the use of research in practice. The outcome measure was the EBP Implementation Scale. Results: A complex range of factors was found to influence the outcome. The factors that were most clearly associated with research use were the perception of personal ability to use research knowledge, years of experience in clinical rheumatology, and experience of research activities. Conclusions: Our study results suggest a large variation in levels of implementation of EBP across work units and individuals, and although a low general standard is indicated (even if a gold standard does not exist), there was also a great interest in working according to EBP principles. Potential for change is apparent, but it seems necessary to examine the use of research evidence in rheumatology practice at the individual and work unit levels to accommodate local and individual needs and resources. Future studies are needed to examine the influence of contextual influences by other methods. *Corresponding author: Margit Neher, Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Entrance 76, 14th floor, S-581 83 Linköping, Sweden, E-mail: margit.neher@liu.se Background A wealth of research findings in rheumatology promise better methods for diagnosis, yielding many changes in rheumatology practice in recent years [1]. Expectations for a more evidence-based practice (EBP) in rheumatology have led to a growing demand for practitioners to keep abreast of the developments in their field and develop a high level of research literacy [2-4]. EBP involves the integration of three knowledge sources: research evidence, clinical expertise, and the patient’s unique values and circumstances [5,6]. National and regional healthcare organizations in Sweden Neher et al. J Rheum Dis Treat 2016, 2:039 ISSN: 2469-5726 • Page 2 of 8 • and steps of EBP. The reliability and validity of the instrument was supported in a heterogeneous sample of practicing nurses, and was also translated to Norwegian (Stokke, 2014). Participants were asked to respond to each of the 18 items on a 5-point frequency scale by indicating how often in the past 8-weeks they performed the item. The scale ranges from 0 (0 times) to 4 (> 8 times). Responses to the 18 items are summed, resulting in a total score from 0 to 72. Data collection Participants were recruited through the heads of rheumatology units, managers, and other key persons. Participants were also contacted directly using publicly available work addresses, with the help of organizations for the targeted professional groups: rheumatologists, occupational therapists, nurses, physiotherapists, and social workers working in clinical rheumatology. An invitation to participate in the project was extended to all the known rheumatology clinics in Sweden via an e-mail with information about the study aim and the scope of the questionnaire. Recipients were informed that participation in the study was voluntary
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