Evidence Based Physical Therapy

I: Finding and Appraising Evidence to Improve Patient Care
1. The Evidence Based Practice Model
2. Asking a Clinical Question and Searching for Research Evidence
3. Critically Appraise the Applicability and Quality of a Research Study
4. Critically Appraise the Results of a Research Study

II: Appraising Other Types of Studies: Beyond the Randomized Clinical Trial
5. Appraising Diagnostic Research Studies
6. Appraising Prognostic Research Studies
7. Appraising Research Studies of Systematic Reviews
8. Appraising Clinical Practice Guidelines
9. Appraising Studies with Alternative Designs
10. Appraising Research Studies of Outcome Measures

III: Communication and Technology for Evidence Based Practice
11. Communicating Evidence for Best Practice
12. Technology and Evidence Based Practice in the Real World

Appendix A
Glossary

Improve outcomes through evidence-based therapy. This practical, easy-to-use guide uses a five-step process to show you how to find, appraise, and apply the research in the literature to meet your patient’s goals.

You'll learn how to develop evidence-based questions specific to your clinical decisions and conduct efficient and effective searches of print and online sources to identify the most relevant and highest quality evidence. Then, you'll undertake a careful appraisal of the information; interpret the research; and synthesize the results to generate valid answers to your questions. And, finally, you'll use the Critically Appraised Topic (CAT) tool to communicate your findings.

See what practitioners and students are saying about the previous edition…

Great resource for applying evidence to practice. “The book is very clearly written with clinical examples, and in-depth questions. If you want a comprehensive book on statistics this is not the book for you, but it is an easily understandable introduction to physical therapy research which will help you to interpret the literature and apply it to your patients.”

Five Stars. “This book is a must have for those just being introduced to EBP and research in physical therapy.” 

• Features a five-step process for evidence-based practice.
  • Step 1. Identify the need for information and construct a focused and searchable clinical question.
  • Step 2. Conduct a search to find the best possible research evidence to answer your question.
  • Step 3. Critically appraise the research evidence for validity and applicability.
  • Step 4. Integrate the critically appraised research evidence with clinical expertise and the patient’s values,
  • preferences, circumstances, and expectations.
  • Step 5. Evaluate the effectiveness and efficacy of your efforts in steps 1-4 and identify ways to improve them in the future.
• Coverage of the clinically relevant statistics and key statistical analyses that inform clinical decisions, such as confidence intervals, effect size, number needed to treat, and minimal clinically important difference.
• Offers key statistical analyses that inform clinical decisions, including confidence intervals, effect size, number needed to treat (NNT), and minimal clinically important differences.
• Includes special pedagogical elements such as specific search strategies for Searching in Pub Med, Self-Tests, Digging Deeper elements for further study, and abundant clinical case examples.
• Assists students in the use of current technology to enhance and communicate EBP.
• Updated, Revised & Expanded! Thoroughly updated, reviewed, and revised throughout to reflect the latest developments in clinical research in rehabilitation and medicine as well as the latest terminology, theories, and treatments.
• Updated & Expanded! More opportunities to practice throughout the text.
• Expanded! More examples of databases available for research.
• Expanded! Coverage that makes statistics easier to understand.