This model is easily communicated and clearly conveys the essence of evidence based practice. It melds into a whole, established concepts and new concepts of improving care, providing a framework for systematically putting EBP processes into operation.
Configured as a simple 5-point star, the model illustrates five major stages of knowledge transformation: 1) knowledge discovery (research), 2) evidence summary, 3) translation into practice recommendations, 4) implementation into practice, and 5) evaluation. Evidence-based processes and methods vary from one point of the star to the next. The ACE Star Model places previous scientific work on research utilization within the context of EBP and serves as an organizer for examining and applying EBP.
The model is developed through the Academic Center for Evidence-Based Practice (ACE). ACE was established as a center of excellence for The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Nursing in January 2000. It is dedicated to bridging research into practice. The goal of ACE is to improve healthcare and patient outcomes through evidence-based practice, research, and education. This work is done through collaboration with other evidence-based practice entities at the South Texas Veterans Health System in San Antonio, specifically, the VA’s center of excellence for evidence-based practice, Veterans Evidence-based Research, Dissemination, and Implementation Center (VERDICT).
