Evidence-based practice (EBP) is certainly a hot topic in Physiotherapy at the moment. As our profession is increasingly governed by scientific research, relying solely on anecdotal evidence and word of mouth is no longer a credible basis for clinical decision making. The EBP movement has gained ground steadily over the past decade, with influential researchers and clinicians arguing that physiotherapists have a moral and professional obligation to move away from assessment and treatment methods based on anecdotal testimonies or opinion. This requires a thorough understanding of what evidence-based practice is, and how to incorporate it into our clinical decision making.
Few would disagree on the importance of incorporating EBP into our day-to-day clinical practice, but how much do you actually know about EBP – are you all clued up, or could you do with a little refresher? Let us help you out! Our volunteers have been spending some time updating Physiopedia pages related to EBP, and adding to our resources on the subject to help you keep on top of this evolving area. Check out the following pages in Physiopedia:
- Appraise the evidence
- Critically Appraised Topics
- Evidence Based Practice (EBP)
- Evidence Based Practice(EBP) in Physiotherapy
- Find the best available evidence
- Grades & Levels of Evidence
- Hierarchy of evidence
- Outcome Measures
- PICO Questions
- Qualitative Research
Also, don’t miss our library of lectures and presentations on Evidence Based Practice:
- Evaluating Evidence Based Practice: Does EBP Facilitate Wise Clinical Decisions, LJ Lee and Roger Kerry, IFOMPT 2012.
- Answering a clinical question. Provided by Clinical Librarian, Physiotherapy Association of British Columbia 2012.
- Choosing where to search — What is a database (Part 1)? Provided by Clinical Librarian, Physiotherapy Association of British Columbia 2012.
- Choosing where to search — Which database to use (Part 2)? Provided by Clinical Librarian, Physiotherapy Association of British Columbia 2012.
- How to choose search terms – keywords. Provided by Clinical Librarian, Physiotherapy Association of British Columbia 2012.
- Choosing search terms — Index terms. Provided by Clinical Librarian, Physiotherapy Association of British Columbia 2012.
- Understanding ‘Levels of Evidence’ – What are Levels of Evidence? Provided by Clinical Librarian, Physiotherapy Association of British Columbia 2012.
- Understanding ‘Levels of Evidence’ – The Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) . Provided by Clinical Librarian, Physiotherapy Association of British Columbia 2012.
- Understanding ‘Levels of Evidence’ – How to Limit Your Medline & CINAHL Searches by Publication Type. Provided by Clinical Librarian, Physiotherapy Association of British Columbia 2012.
We hope that you find these useful in helping you to incorporate EBP into your day-to-day clinical practice. If you feel that you can update or improve any of these pages in any way, please just login to Physiopedia (you can request an account here) and make the changes. This is how we keep Physiopedia evolving with our profession. Enjoy….