Physical Therapist's Adherence to a Structured Evidence Based Practice Guideline Improves Practice Behavior and Quality of Care; Result of an Exploratory Analysis in a Tertiary Level Hospital in Qatar

Abstract

Background Development of clinical guidelines in health services is generally considered important for improving and managing the care process (Grimshaw et al., 1995a, Grimshaw et al., 1995b, Grol and Grimshaw 2003, Grol et al., 2004). Clinical guidelines are systematically developed statements designed to help practitioners and patients to make decisions about appropriate health care (Field and Lohr 1992). Higher quality of care and improved cost effectiveness are important goals in guideline development, optimally resulting in improved health (Woolf et al., 1999). Moreover, the process of guideline development addresses the need to decrease variability in professional practice, and practitioners' desire to legitimize their profession in the eyes of external stakeholders (Grimshaw et al., 1995a, Grimshaw et al., 1995b, Grimshaw and Hutchinson 1995, Grol and Grimshaw 2003, Grol et al., 2004). The concept of evidence-based practice, supported by clinical guidelines, is a common aspect of health care today....