Aim The gap between research and clinical practice leads to inconsistent decision‐making and clinical audits are an effective way of improving the implementation of best practice. Our aim is to assess the effectiveness of a model that implements evidence‐based recommendations for patient outcomes and healthcare quality. Design National quasi‐experimental, multicentre, before and after study. Methods This study focuses on patients attending primary care and hospital care units and associated socio‐healthcare services. It uses the Joanna Brigg's Institute Getting Research into Practice model, which improves processes by referring to prior baseline clinical audits. The variables are process and outcome criteria for pain, urinary incontinence, and fall prevention, with data collection at baseline and key points over 12 months drawn from clinical histories and records. Project funding was received from the Spanish Strategic Health Action in November 2014. Discussion The project results will provide knowledge on the effectiveness of the Getting Research into Practice model, to apply evidence‐based recommendations for the detection and management of pain, urinary incontinence, and fall prevention. It will also establish whether using research results, based on clinical audits and situation analysis, is effective for implementing evidence‐based recommendations and improving patients’ health. Impact This nationwide Spanish project aims to detect and prevent high‐prevalence healthcare problems, namely pain in patients at any age and falls and urinary incontinence in people aged 65 and over. Tailoring clinical practice to evidence‐based recommendations will reduce unjustified clinical variations in providing healthcare services. Clinical Trial ID: NCT03725774.

The use of certain strategies for the implementation of a specific recommendation yields better results in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an evidence-based model using clinical audits (GRIP model), for the implementation of recommendations in pain and urinary incontinence management as well as fall prevention, in the Spanish National Health System during the period 2015–2018. A quasi-experimental study has been conducted. The subjects were patients treated in hospitals, primary care units and nursing home centers. There were measures related to pain, fall prevention and urinary incontinence. Measurements were taken at baseline and at months 3, 6, 9, and 12. The sample consisted of 22,114 patients. The frequency of pain assessment increased from 59.9% in the first cycle to a mean of 71.6% in the last cycle, assessments of risk of falling increased from 56.8% to 87.8% in the last cycle; and finally, the frequency of assessments of urinary incontinence increased from a 43.4% in the first cycles to a mean of 62.2% in the last cycles. The implementation of specific evidence-based recommendations on pain, fall prevention, and urinary incontinence using a model based on clinical audits improved the frequency of assessments and their documentation.