What is the role of evidence-based practice in Oklahoma podiatry jurisprudence?

• A. Practice may ignore updates to standards and still maintain licensure.
• B. Practice should rely on outdated techniques regardless of current standards.
• C. Evidence-based practice requires ongoing alignment with current standards of care and updates to guidelines; adherence is necessary to maintain licensure and meet board expectations.
• D. Evidence-based practice is optional and not related to licensure.

Answer: (C)

Evidence-based practice means making clinical decisions that rest on the best available evidence, integrated with your clinical expertise and your patients’ values, while continually aligning with current standards of care. In Oklahoma podiatry jurisprudence, the Board expects practitioners to stay up to date with changes in guidelines and standards, and licensure depends on practicing in accordance with those current standards. So the role is to ensure your care reflects updated guidelines and that you actively incorporate new evidence as standards evolve, which is tied to maintaining licensure and meeting board expectations.

This is why the best answer emphasizes ongoing alignment with current standards and updates to guidelines, and why adherence is necessary to maintain licensure. The other ideas—ignoring updates, relying on outdated techniques, or treating evidence-based practice as optional—do not meet the board’s expectations for competent, compliant practice.