Effect of including a clinical example on the ability of physical therapists to apply information in a technical research report

Abstract

Background and purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether an example in a technical research report would affect application of content to hypothetical patient problems and to future patients.

Subjects: Subjects were 69 physical therapists who routinely used isokinetic equipment in the treatment of patients with knee joint pathologies.

Methods: Thirty-five subjects (group 1) read a research report that described mathematical models for predicting preinjury quadriceps femoris and hamstring muscle performance. The report included an example of applying the information. The remaining 34 subjects (group 2) read the same research report with the example omitted. Subjects were asked to select appropriate prediction models and determine preinjury knee torques for two hypothetical patients. Subjects were also contacted 6 to 12 weeks after initial data collection to determine whether they had applied research report results in their treatments of patients.

Results: Chi-square analyses indicated manuscript type was not related to the selection of correct models, but group 1 subjects computed correct torque values more frequently than did group 2 subjects. Insufficient data were available regarding application of research report content to patients.

Conclusion and discussion: The results indicate application of technically oriented research reports may be enhanced by including examples of applications. (Gross MT, Sekerak DK, Allen DD. Effect of including a clinical example on the ability of physical therapists to apply information in a technical research report.