Supporting clinical practice behavior change among neurologic physical therapists: a case study in knowledge...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Physical Therapy
• Evidence-Based Practice

Background:

• Physical therapists often underutilize research evidence in clinical settings.
• Knowledge translation activities (KTAs) offer strategies to bridge this evidence-practice gap.
• This study focused on improving clinical practice behavior in neurologic physical therapists.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate a yearlong quality improvement project promoting behavior change in neurologic physical therapists.
• To encourage the adoption of a novel, evidence-supported gait training method (nonsupported gait training [NSGT]) for patients with hemiparesis.

Main Methods:

• A quality improvement project was conducted in an inpatient rehabilitation setting.
• Multidimensional KTAs included staff meetings, group/individual dialogue, chart audits with feedback, and ongoing reminders/consultation.
• Staff perceptions were surveyed mid-project to inform targeted interventions.

Main Results:

• The use of NSGT increased from 50% to 73% of eligible patients across quarters.
• Familiarity with NSGT rose from 19% to 78% among therapists.
• Self-reported use of NSGT increased from 33% to 66%.

Conclusions:

• Extensive, multidimensional KTAs are feasible in inpatient rehabilitation settings.
• These KTAs led to a moderate increase in the documented and self-reported use of NSGT.
• Clinical teams can benefit from implementing KTAs to support practice change.