Brief Report The Role of Technology in Evidence-informed Practice: Uniting the Human and the Digital in Child Welfare

Abstract

In response to increasing demand for ethical practice, transparency, improved accountability, and critical thinking, the child welfare field is moving towards a model of evidence-informed practice (EIP). The use of research evidence to guide practice in child welfare has become progressively important given the limited resources and pressures for efficiency and accountability in services outcomes. This paper will discuss a Canadian organization’s experiences of promoting EIP, using information and communication technologies. Information and communication technologies (ICT) may play an integral role in the implementation of EIP among child welfare practitioners; as important as technology in this endeavor, is the human element.