Survey Maps Organisational Support for Evidence-Based Practice in Finnish Occupational Health

Most Finnish occupational health professionals say their organisations value evidence-based practice, but a new survey suggests that turning that attitude into everyday clinical routine depends heavily on managers, training and dedicated structures. The study, published in BMC Health Services Research, surveyed 524 Finnish occupational health physicians and nurses using a validated online questionnaire called EBP-OHS, distributed in two waves in November 2020 and August 2021. Respondents included professionals working solely in patient care as well as those holding managerial, development or expert roles. According to the results, 83 percent of respondents reported that their organisations value evidence-based practice, and 74 percent said their organisations encourage staff to use evidence-based information.

The researchers used the Joanna Briggs Institute model of evidence-based healthcare as their conceptual framework, a model chosen for its clear and intuitive way of exploring how research evidence and the practice of medicine can be better integrated. The authors note that very little published research exists on evidence-based practice in occupational health services anywhere, and none previously in Finland, and that the JBI model has seen little use in the occupational health arena. Quantitative survey responses were analysed with descriptive methods, while qualitative data were examined using content analysis.

When asked what would most effectively support evidence-based work, respondents pointed first to managerial support and managers setting an example, followed by employee training and the presence of a dedicated team or expert responsible for ensuring that care delivery consistently aligns with the latest evidence. Participants also called for clear and uniform processes for implementing research evidence into practice, and for information technology systems that support both the implementation and the reporting of evidence-based practice on the ground. These responses came from professionals across both frontline and expert or managerial positions, giving a picture of perceived needs from within the services themselves.

The authors conclude that successful evidence-based practice in occupational health services seems likely to require managers to set a good example in both attitude and actions. Building a culture in which research evidence is routinely implemented, they write, requires staff to be empowered to share and keep up with robust and relevant new evidence, and to be allocated sufficient time to do so. Occupational health units, in their view, need clear structures and forums dedicated to engaging with evidence-based practice, and the field would likely benefit from clear implementation processes and tools that allow systematic follow-up and reporting.

The study is descriptive and cross-sectional, capturing the self-reported views and experiences of Finnish occupational health professionals at two time points rather than measuring clinical outcomes, so the findings describe perceived organisational support rather than demonstrated effects on patient care. Even so, the survey offers one of the first systematic looks at how evidence-based practice is supported in Finnish occupational health services, a sector that sits at the intersection of healthcare and working life. The authors emphasise that the Joanna Briggs Institute framework had rarely been applied in this setting before, making the questionnaire a step toward filling a documented gap in the literature. For occupational health providers, the practical message from the respondents is that organisational values alone are not enough: without managerial example, protected time, training, designated expertise and supporting IT systems, the pathway from published evidence to everyday consultations remains difficult to navigate.

Subject of Research: Organisational support for evidence-based practice among Finnish occupational health professionals

Article Title: Organisational support for evidence-based practice in occupational health services in Finland

Article References: Ruotsalainen, J., Päätalo, K., Martimo, K.-P., & Oksanen, T. (2026). Organisational support for evidence-based practice in occupational health services in Finland. BMC Health Services Research. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-026-15851-x

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12913-026-15851-x

Keywords: evidence-based practice, occupational health services, Finland, survey, Joanna Briggs Institute, organisational support, health services research, EBP-OHS questionnaire, managerial support, implementation of evidence, Organisational, support