scholarly journals Evidence-Based Practice: Beliefs, Attitudes, Knowledge, and Behaviors of Physical Therapists

2003 ◽  
Vol 83 (9) ◽  
pp. 786-805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane U Jette ◽  
Kimberly Bacon ◽  
Cheryl Batty ◽  
Melissa Carlson ◽  
Amanda Ferland ◽  
...  

Background and Purpose. Little research has been done regarding the attitudes and behaviors of physical therapists relative to the use of evidence in practice. The purposes of this study were to describe the beliefs, attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors of physical therapist members of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) as they relate to evidence-based practice (EBP) and to generate hypotheses about the relationship between these attributes and personal and practice characteristics of the respondents. Methods. A survey of a random sample of physical therapist members of APTA resulted in a 48.8% return rate and a sample of 488 that was fairly representative of the national membership. Participants completed a questionnaire designed to determine beliefs, attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors regarding EBP, as well as demographic information about themselves and their practice settings. Responses were summarized for each item, and logistic regression analyses were used to examine relationships among variables. Results. Respondents agreed that the use of evidence in practice was necessary, that the literature was helpful in their practices, and that quality of patient care was better when evidence was used. Training, familiarity with and confidence in search strategies, use of databases, and critical appraisal tended to be associated with younger therapists with fewer years since they were licensed. Seventeen percent of the respondents stated they read fewer than 2 articles in a typical month, and one quarter of the respondents stated they used literature in their clinical decision making less than twice per month. The majority of the respondents had access to online information, although more had access at home than at work. According to the respondents, the primary barrier to implementing EBP was lack of time. Discussion and Conclusion. Physical therapists stated they had a positive attitude about EBP and were interested in learning or improving the skills necessary to implement EBP. They noted that they needed to increase the use of evidence in their daily practice.

2019 ◽  
Vol 100 (2) ◽  
pp. 295-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Crystal MacKay ◽  
Gillian A Hawker ◽  
Susan B Jaglal

Abstract Background Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of disability. There is increasing emphasis on initiating treatment earlier in the disease. Physical therapists are central to the management of OA through the delivery of exercise programs. There is a paucity of research on physical therapists’ perceptions and clinical behaviors related to early knee OA management. Objective The study aimed to explore how physical therapists approached management of early knee OA, with a focus on evidence-based strategies. This is an important first step to begin to optimize care by physical therapists for this population. Design We used a qualitative, descriptive research design. Methods Semistructured interviews were conducted with 33 physical therapists working with people with knee symptoms and/or diagnosed knee OA in community or outpatient settings in Canada. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results Five main themes were constructed: (1) Physical therapists’ experience and training: clinical experiences and continuing professional development informed clinical decision-making. (2) Tailoring treatment from the physical therapist “toolbox:” participants described their toolbox of therapeutic interventions, highlighting the importance of tailoring treatments to people. (3) The central role of exercise and physical activity in management: exercise was consistently recommended by participants. (4) Variability in support for weight management: there was variation related to how participants addressed weight management. (5) Facilitating “buy-in” to management: physical therapists used a range of strategies to gain “buy-in.” Limitations Participants were recruited through a professional association specializing in orthopedic physical therapy and worked an average of 21 years. Conclusions Participants’ accounts emphasized tailoring of interventions, particularly exercises, which is an evidence-based strategy for OA. Findings illuminated variations in management that warrant further exploration to optimize early intervention (eg, weight management, behavior change techniques).


2009 ◽  
Vol 89 (9) ◽  
pp. 918-933 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joe Schreiber ◽  
Perri Stern ◽  
Gregory Marchetti ◽  
Ingrid Provident

BackgroundThe physical therapy profession has been perceived as one that bases its practice largely on anecdotal evidence and that uses treatment techniques for which there is little scientific support. Physical therapists have been urged to increase evidence-based practice behaviors as a means to address this perception and to enhance the translation of knowledge from research evidence into clinical practice. However, little attention has been paid to the best ways in which to support clinicians’ efforts toward improving evidence-based practice.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to identify, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of strategies aimed at enhancing the ability of 5 pediatric physical therapists to integrate scientific research evidence into clinical decision making.DesignThis study was a formative evaluation pilot project.MethodsThe participants in this study collaborated with the first author to identify and implement strategies and outcomes aimed at enhancing their ability to use research evidence during clinical decision making. Outcome data were analyzed with qualitative methods.ResultsThe participants were able to implement several, but not all, of the strategies and made modest self-reported improvements in evidence-based practice behaviors, such as reading journal articles and completing database searches. They identified several barriers, including a lack of time, other influences on clinical decision making, and a lack of incentives for evidence-based practice activities.ConclusionsThe pediatric physical therapists who took part in this project had positive attitudes toward evidence-based practice and made modest improvements in this area. It is critical for the profession to continue to investigate optimal strategies to aid practicing clinicians in applying research evidence to clinical decision making.


Author(s):  
Joe Schreiber ◽  
Perri Stern

The term “evidence-based practice” (EBP) has become ubiquitous in physical therapy practice. Since the mid 1990s, over 70 articles have been published in the physical therapy literature relating to EBP. Many physical therapists agree with the notion that scientific evidence should be utilized to guide practice decisions. However, for physical therapy clinicians, there are numerous barriers to EBP. Also, there appears to be a disconnect between academia and clinical practice in terms of the utilization of research evidence to inform clinical decision making. The purpose of this review of the literature is to begin to elucidate and address some of the many issues that the physical therapy profession faces with respect to evidence-based practice by providing a comprehensive synthesis and analysis of the EBP literature in Physical Therapy (PT).


2021 ◽  
pp. RTNP-D-20-00119
Author(s):  
Alia Almoajel

Background and PurposeEvidence-based practice (EBP) is generally recognized as a fundamental tenet of cost-effective and high-quality patient care. Nurses must be engaged with the appropriate attitude and educated with essential competencies to implement EBP systematically into their daily practice. This study assessed the attitudes, knowledge, and skills of registered nurses toward the adoption of EBP in making clinical decisions in their practice.MethodsThis quantitative, crosssectional study surveyed a convenience sample of 312 nurses from five regions in Saudi Arabia from October 2019 to December 2019.ResultsThe majority of nurses were unknowledgeable about the acceptable definition of EBP. The highest overall mean score was reported in the motivation subscale, followed by the skill and barrier subscales. The attitude subscale received the lowest overall mean score, which denotes a positive attitude. The nationality, level of nursing education, and years of experience had significant multivariate effects on nurses' EBP skills. Consequently, designation and EBP training had significant multivariate effects on nurses' perceived barriers to EBP adoption.Implications for PracticeNurses lack EBP knowledge. Nonetheless, they are motivated with positive attitudes to implement EBP in their professional practice if they are given adequate training and resources, sufficient time and managerial support, and mentoring from nurses with adequate EBP experience. Heightening the understanding and utilization of the best available scientific resources about EBP into nurses' daily clinical decision and practice is essential.


2011 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 121-123
Author(s):  
Jeri A. Logemann

Evidence-based practice requires astute clinicians to blend our best clinical judgment with the best available external evidence and the patient's own values and expectations. Sometimes, we value one more than another during clinical decision-making, though it is never wise to do so, and sometimes other factors that we are unaware of produce unanticipated clinical outcomes. Sometimes, we feel very strongly about one clinical method or another, and hopefully that belief is founded in evidence. Some beliefs, however, are not founded in evidence. The sound use of evidence is the best way to navigate the debates within our field of practice.


2007 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 508-511 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Mamédio da Costa Santos ◽  
Cibele Andrucioli de Mattos Pimenta ◽  
Moacyr Roberto Cuce Nobre

Evidence based practice is the use of the best scientific evidence to support the clinical decision making. The identification of the best evidence requires the construction of an appropriate research question and review of the literature. This article describes the use of the PICO strategy for the construction of the research question and bibliographical search.


2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 242-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdulsalam Alhaidary

The goal of this study was to explore the evidence-based practice (EBP) pattern among speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists in Saudi Arabia. A total of 48 clinicians working in Saudi Arabia completed a questionnaire that investigated patterns, attitudes, skills, and time and resources at the workplace related to EBP. The results showed that SLPs and audiologists held favorable attitudes toward EBP, and the use of research studies to guide clinical decision making was increased among the participants with previous EBP training. Also, the study found that skills and knowledge related to EBP need to be enhanced, but they were not major barriers to EBP implementation. Limited resources appeared to impose some hindrances, whereas insufficient time at the workplace was found to be a major challenge for EBP implementation. Overall, the findings from this study highlight the importance of increasing the continuing education and professional time for EBP activities in the workplace.


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