Can Onsite Presentations Led by Physical Therapist Students Increase Clinicians’ Confidence in Aspects of Evidence-Based Practice? A Pilot Study

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare impact of 3 different types of onsite physical therapist student-led presentations on participants' reported confidence in various skills related to EBP.Subjects. Fifty-two physical therapists from 6 outpatient orthopedic clinics participated.Materials and Methods. Six clinics were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 presentation types: topic-specific presentation (TP, n = 20); evidence-based practice (EBP) interactive education session (ED, n = 12); or EBP education handout (HO, n = 20). Data were collected from 1 prepresentation and 2 postpresentation (at 1 and 6 months after intervention) surveys. Data analysis utilized demographic summaries, cross-tabulations, frequencies, Friedman analyses of variance (ANOVA), and Kruskal-Wallis tests for survey data.Results. Pre presentation (PRE): Groups were demographically similar and did not differ in survey responses. Over 95% of all participants agreed that EBP is essential to physical therapy practice. Lack of time was most frequently identified barrier to use of EBP (92%). One (POST1) and 6 (POST6) months post presentation: Significant improvements were found from PRE to POSTl in ED group in confidence in understanding published research, and these improvements were maintained at POST6. The HO group demonstrated significantly improved confidence in ability to locate published research from PRE to POST1. No differences were found in TP group across time. A large majority of all participants reported that it was helpful to have information provided to them and that student presenters were knowledgeable and trustworthy regarding information presented. Nearly two thirds reported gaining new skills or information from presentation, and most agreed that future student-led, EBP-related presentations would be beneficial.Conclusions. Participants in this study consider EBP essential to physical therapy practice, but identified numerous barriers that may prevent EBP implementation. Student-led presentations designed to educate clinicians on methods of locating and understanding published research (ED and HO) produced several significant pre-presentation to post-presentation differences in participants' confidence in these skills. The majority of participants felt presentations were beneficial and that students provided useful information.Clinical Relevance. The academic environment affords PT students with most up-to-date, evidence-based information, and students are required to be proficient in locating, understanding, analyzing, and implementing published research. Some clinicians may lack these skills; this lack has been identified as a barrier to EBP implementation. The results of this pilot study are a positive indication that PT students may be able to provide clinicians with information and training that may improve their confidence in locating and understanding published research. This may be an early but important step toward achieving American Physical Therapy Association's vision to improve profession's implementation of EBP.Key Words: Evidence-based practice, Student-led presentations, Clinical presentations.INTRODUCTIONEvidence-based practice (EBP), the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about care of individual patients,1(p71) is at forefront of discussions about future of physical therapy. The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) has identified EBP as one of 6 key elements for achieving vision of autonomous practice by year 2020.2 Clinician-identified barriers have been shown to make implementation of EBP difficult.3'12 This has contributed to a gap between knowledge available through published evidence and actual clinical practice. Many strategies have been suggested to bridge this gap and allow physical therapists to consistently use EBP in their professional setting. …