Physical therapists in private practice: information sources and information needs

Area of Science:

• Health Sciences Information Management
• Physical Therapy Practice

Background:

• Physical therapists (PTs) are increasingly transitioning from hospital settings to private practice clinics.
• This shift limits their access to traditional information resources supporting clinical and practice management.
• Effective information access is crucial for evidence-based practice in physical therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To survey physical therapists in private practice in Vermont regarding their information usage for clinical and practice management.
• To assess their anticipated needs for health sciences library and research services.
• To understand preferred information access methods for PTs in private practice.

Main Methods:

• A survey was designed and administered to physical therapists in private practice in Vermont.
• Respondents reported frequency of use for seven information sources.
• Anticipated usefulness of various library services and preferred access paths were ranked.

Main Results:

• Respondents frequently utilize personal and office collections of professional literature for clinical decision-making.
• There was minimal reported use of bibliographic databases among surveyed PTs.
• Document delivery services and mediated searches were ranked highest in anticipated usefulness.

Conclusions:

• Physical therapists in private practice exhibit limited use of formal bibliographic databases.
• There is a strong interest in accessing enhanced information and research services, particularly document delivery and mediated searches.
• Health sciences librarians can develop targeted outreach programs to support the information needs of private practice PTs.