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Physical Therapists Sift Opinion from Fact for Best Treatments

What do you think of evidence-based practice (EBP)? Is your first reply, "Huh?" Actually, EBP isn't typically a hot topic for many people, but it tends to be for health care professionals. EBP is the use of research results to make decisions about patient care.

There's been a shift from treating patients on the basis of opinion toward using cold, hard data instead. How does a health care worker keep up with the latest research? By reading articles in journals and searching for topics on-line.

Health professionals, including doctors, nurses, and physical therapists (PTs) have had to sit up and take notice when it comes to EBP. Insurance companies, managed care companies, and other third party payers are insisting on EBP before paying for a service.

What do physical therapists think about EBP? That's the focus of this study done by physical therapists. They sent a survey to 1,000 members of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). A similar survey had been sent to medical doctors.

Questions were asked to find out about the therapists, the type of work they do, and their attitudes about EBP. The researchers found that most PTs think it's a good idea, but they have too little time to look for the research. Many felt they don't have the ability to tell if a study is a good one or not.

Younger therapists or PTs who have graduated in the last five years tend to be more comfortable with reading and understanding research studies. They also tend to be more likely to agree that EBP is necessary and improves care. Interest is often highest among those professionals who have on-line access to current research.

The authors conclude that as a profession, physical therapists want to improve patient care. They think EBP is a good way to do it. Computer access at home and at work can make a difference. Finding the time to do it may be the bottom line.

References: Jette Du, PT, DSc, et al. Evidence-Based Practice: Beliefs, Attitudes, Knowledge, and Behaviors of Physical Therapists. In Physical Therapy. Vol. 83. No. 9. Pp. 786-805.

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