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A quantitative analysis of research in Physical Therapy
1School of Physiotherapy, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.
Physical Therapy
|April 1, 1995
Summary
Physical therapy research increasingly uses group designs but rarely investigates clinical treatments. Further evaluation of research practices is needed to align studies with clinical expectations and improve physical therapy practice.
Area of Science:
- Physical Therapy Research
- Evidence-Based Practice
Background:
- Physical therapists believe research can justify and improve practice.
- The impact of research depends on study design and clinical relevance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze research methods and clinical treatment investigation in Physical Therapy journal articles.
- To assess the alignment of published research with the goals of physical therapy practice.
Main Methods:
- A content analysis of 272 articles published in Physical Therapy between 1954 and 1993.
- Categorization of articles based on research methodology and focus on clinical treatments.
Main Results:
- A growing proportion of studies employed group designs over the analyzed period.
- The majority of the sampled articles did not investigate clinical treatments.
Conclusions:
- Findings present a paradox, as group designs face criticism and clinical relevance is expected.
- There is a need for increased discussion and evaluation of current physical therapy research methodologies and their impact on practice.