Evidence-Based Speech-Language Pathology
challenges, methodological rigor, and the necessary paradigm shift in clinical and scientific practice
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47456/rbps.v27i1.50543Keywords:
Prática baseada em evidências, Fonoaudiologia, Revisão sistemática, Metanálise, Tomada de decisão clínicaAbstract
This editorial discusses the consolidation of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) within Speech-Language Pathology (SLP), highlighting its conceptual origins in Evidence-Based Medicine and its evolution as a methodological and ethical imperative for health professionals. EBP is founded on three pillars: clinical expertise, the best external and internal evidence, and patient perspectives. The text emphasizes the necessity of integrating EBP into academic training, fostering critical appraisal, and applying research findings to clinical decision-making. It argues that systematic reviews and meta-analyses are essential tools for synthesizing high-quality evidence and guiding effective, cost-efficient clinical practices. The article stresses the importance of protocol registration on platforms such as PROSPERO and ReBEC to ensure transparency, reproducibility, and compliance with open science principles. It critiques the predominance of low-level evidence studies, such as case reports, which often lack adherence to CARE guidelines, and calls for stricter editorial and methodological standards in SLP research. The editorial concludes that strengthening a scientific culture grounded in rigor, ethics, and collaboration, particularly with fields like Epidemiology, is vital for transitioning from experience-based to evidence-based practice, enhancing the quality, safety, and effectiveness of clinical care in Speech-Language Pathology.
Downloads
References
Sackett DL, Rosenberg WMC, Muir Gray JA, Haynes RB, Richardson WS. Evidence based medicine: what it is and what it isn’t. BMJ. 1996 Jan;312(7023):71-2.
Lopes-Júnior LC. Evidence-based practice: incorporating research into clinical practice. Rev Enferm UFPI [Internet]. 2023 Jun 21 [cited 2025 Oct 7];12(1). Available from: https://periodicos.ufpi.br/index.php/reufpi/article/view/4400
Hamer S. Evidence-based practice. In: Hamer S, Collinson G, editors. Achieving evidence-based practice: a handbook for practitioners. London: Baillière Tindall; 1999. p. 3-12.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) [Internet]. Rockville: ASHA; 2021 [cited 2025 Sep 30]. Available from: https://www.asha.org/research/ebp/
Greenwell T, Walsh B. Evidence-Based Practice in Speech-Language Pathology: Where Are We Now? Am J Speech Lang Pathol. 2021 Jan 27;30(1):186-98. doi: 10.1044/2020_AJSLP-20-00194.
Brasil. Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Ciência, Tecnologia, Inovação e Insumos Estratégicos em Saúde. Departamento de Gestão e Incorporação de Tecnologias em Saúde. Diretrizes metodológicas: elaboração de revisão sistemática e meta-análise de ensaios clínicos randomizados [Internet]. Brasília: Ministério da Saúde; 2021. 93 p.
Riley DS, Barber MS, Kienle GS, et al. CARE guidelines for case reports: explanation and elaboration document. J Clin Epidemiol. 2017 Sep;89:218-35. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.04.026.
Conselho Federal de Fonoaudiologia (CFFa). Resolução CFFa nº 640, de 3 de dezembro de 2021. Aprova o Código de Ética da Fonoaudiologia e dá outras providências [Internet]. Brasília: CFFa; 2021 [cited 2025 Oct 10]. Available from: https://www.fonoaudiologia.org.br/resolucoes/resolucao-640-2021
Souza MS de L, Cáceres-Assenço AM. Prática baseada em evidências e atuação clínica em linguagem infantil: uma pesquisa online com fonoaudiólogos brasileiros. CoDAS. 2024;36(1):e20220272. doi: 10.1590/2317-1782/20232022272pt.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Brazilian Journal of Health Research
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The Revista Brasileira de Pesquisa em Saúde (RBPS) adopts the CC BY 4.0 license, which means that authors retain the copyright of the works they submit to the journal. Authors are responsible for declaring that their contribution is an original manuscript, that it has not been previously published, and that it is not under simultaneous review by another scientific journal. Upon submitting the manuscript, authors grant RBPS the exclusive right of first publication, subject to peer review.
Authors are permitted to enter into additional contracts for the non-exclusive distribution of the version published by RBPS (for example, in institutional repositories or as a book chapter), provided that due acknowledgment of authorship and of initial publication by RBPS is given. Authors are also encouraged to make their work available online (for example, in institutional repositories or on their personal pages) after its initial publication in the journal, with due acknowledgment of authorship and of the original publication by RBPS.
Accordingly, under the CC BY 4.0 license, readers have the right to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially;
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms. Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
