Promoting physical therapists' of research evidence to inform clinical practice: part 1--theoretical foundation, evidence, and description of the PEAK program.

Julie K Tilson,Sharon Mickan

doi:10.1186/1472-6920-14-125

Abstract

BackgroundThere is a need for theoretically grounded and evidence-based interventions that enhance the use of research evidence in physical therapist practice. This paper and its companion paper introduce the Physical therapist-driven Education for Actionable Knowledge translation (PEAK) program, an educational program designed to promote physical therapists’ integration of research evidence into clinical decision-making. The pedagogical foundations for the PEAK educational program include Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory and Malcolm Knowles’s adult learning theory. Additionally, two complementary frameworks of knowledge translation, the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (PARiHS) and Knowledge to Action (KTA) Cycle, were used to inform the organizational elements of the program. Finally, the program design was influenced by evidence from previous attempts to facilitate the use of research in practice at the individual and organizational levels.DiscussionThe 6-month PEAK program consisted of four consecutive and interdependent components. First, leadership support was secured and electronic resources were acquired and distributed to participants. Next, a two-day training workshop consisting of didactic and small group activities was conducted that addressed the five steps of evidence based practice. For five months following the workshop, participants worked in small groups to review and synthesize literature around a group-selected area of common clinical interest. Each group contributed to the generation of a “Best Practices List” - a list of locally generated, evidence-based, actionable behaviors relevant to the groups’ clinical practice. Ultimately, participants agreed to implement the Best Practices List in their clinical practice.SummaryThis, first of two companion papers, describes the underlying pedagogical theories, knowledge translation frameworks, and research evidence used to derive the PEAK program – an educational program designed to promote the use of research evidence to inform physical therapist practice. The four components of the program are described in detail. The companion paper reports the results of a mixed methods feasibility analysis of this complex educational intervention.

Highlights

Physical therapists report positive attitudes about the use of research evidence to inform clinical decision-making [1,2,3]
Summary: This, first of two companion papers, describes the underlying pedagogical theories, knowledge translation frameworks, and research evidence used to derive the Physical therapist-driven Education for Actionable Knowledge translation (PEAK) program – an educational program designed to promote the use of research evidence to inform physical therapist practice
In the paragraphs that follow we introduce the pedagogical foundations, knowledge translation (KT) frameworks, and research evidence used to derive the PEAK program

Summary

Discussion

The overall goal of the PEAK program was to promote physical therapists’ integration of research evidence into clinical decision-making at the individual (i.e., EBP) and organizational (i.e., KT) level. Selection of clinical area and five sub-topics around which a list of locally relevant evidence-based best practices would be generated (2 hours). Component 3 For 5 months following the workshop, participants met regularly in small groups (three to seven therapists) to develop a list of locally relevant ‘best practices’ for their clinical sub-topic. Participants adapted research knowledge to their local environment, using an awareness of key barriers for a group-selected clinical problem They agreed that sustained use would be monitored via audits of medical record reporting. Careful planning of the facilitation process is required for participants to integrate the evidence in their local context [30] This theoretical framework was applied with reference to the evidence of effective educational interventions and recognised barriers to integrating research into practice for physical therapists and health care professionals in general. The companion paper to this manuscript reports the results of a mixed methods feasibility analysis of the PEAK program [10]

Introduction

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