Strategies to Promote Evidence-Based Practice in Pediatric Physical Therapy: A Formative Evaluation Pilot Project

Background The 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. Objectives The 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. Design This study was a formative evaluation pilot project. Methods The 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. Results The 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. Conclusions The 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.