Use of Scientific Research and Clinical Practice Guidelines: A Survey of Experienced Life Care Planners

The field of life care planning continues to evolve and life care planners are becoming increasingly required to provide strong evidence to support their recommendations. Additionally, the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 509 U.S. 579 (1993) implicated the need for life care planners to scientifically validate of their approach to establishing future care and associated costs for individuals with disabilities. To substantiate their recommendations, life care planners should maintain their ability to access and utilize peer-reviewed scientific literature. In this study, life care planners (n=l 16) were asked to electronically provide demographic information and respond to questions regarding the use of scientific research and clinical practice guidelines in the development of life care plans. As indicated by the results of this study, there was variability in the knowledge and application of research by life care planners. This variability appears to be due to differences in obtained research education. The concern that life care planners have regarding the identification of scientific evidence for depositions and trials implies the need for educational opportunities in scientific research.