Objective
The trend of utilizing evidence-based practice (EBP) in athletic training is now requiring clinicians, researchers, educators, and students to be equipped to both engage in and make judgments about research evidence. Single-case design (SCD) research may provide an alternative approach to develop such skills and inform clinical and pedagogical practices. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature related to SCD and its potential contributions to EBP in athletic training.
Data Source(s)
We searched PubMed, CINAHL, Proquest Dissertation and Theses, and Google Scholar using terms “single case design”, “single subject design”, “within subjects”, and combined search terms of “single case design AND athletic training, AND allied health, AND medicine, AND nursing”.
Data Synthesis
Textual support for the use of SCD in athletic training and a brief review of literature pertaining to: general features, strengths, limitations, and design options commonly associated with the use of SCD.
Conclusions
Use of SCD in allied health professions is limited, with fewer studies in athletic training settings. Low awareness and misinterpretation of SCD may be contributing to the low use of SCD in athletic training research. The key characteristics of SCD make it appropriate for use in clinical and educational settings and may provide clinicians, educators, and researchers an alternative tool for the development of evidence necessary to engage in evidence-based practice.