Ethnographic inquiry in clinical settings

Physical therapy combines art and science. Both aspects of our practice require systematic investigation. Clinical researchers are confronted with managing the unpredictable variables introduced by multiple human behaviors inherent in the therapeutic process. Ethnography is a qualitative approach to scientific inquiry that is suitable for addressing the human behaviors inherent in practice as they unfold in the clinical setting. An overview of the purpose, methodology, strengths, and limitations of ethnography is presented. Suggestions for applying ethnographic inquiry to physical therapy are provided. The strengths of ethnography include 1) its systematic and rigorous process for collecting and analyzing data that ensures attention to the issues of validity and reliability and 2) the potential relevance of its outcomes to physical therapy practitioners.