Attitudes, knowledge and behavior of Japanese physical therapists with regard to evidence-based practice and clinical practice guidelines: a cross-sectional mail survey.
Shuhei Fujimoto, Noriko Kon, Jun Takasugi and 1 others
PMID 28265139WHAT IT FOUND
Most Japanese physical therapists agreed evidence-based practice matters, but only 10.4% reported EBP education and 29.2% used clinical guidelines.
Research-engaged therapists reported more guideline use.
Key findings
0183.3% agreed EBP is important, but only 10.4% reported learning EBP foundations during academic preparation.
0229.2% used CPG, and 13.3% agreed CPG were clinically useful.
03Therapists engaged in research reported more EBP behaviours and CPG use than those not engaged.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The response rate was low, so therapists already interested in evidence-based practice may have been overrepresented. The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot show that research participation causes better attitudes or behaviour. Answers were self-reported and were not checked against clinical records or patient outcomes. Questionnaire validation was not completed, so comparisons with other countries are uncertain. Participants were sampled from one prefecture, so results may not represent all Japanese physical therapists.
Declared interests
The study was subsidized by a Health, Labour and Welfare-supported clinical practice guideline study and by the Chiba Prefecture Physical Therapist Society.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that research participation improves clinical practice. The survey measured self-reported attitudes and behaviours at one time point, and the associations cannot establish cause or effect on patient outcomes.