Introduction to Research and Evidence in Physiotherapy Practice

Flashcards summarizing key vocabulary and concepts related to research and evidence in physiotherapy practice.

Evidence Based Physiotherapy (EBP)

The integration of clinical expertise, patient values, and the best research evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients.

RCTs

Randomized Controlled Trials, considered the gold standard of clinical trials to assess the effectiveness of interventions.

Systematic reviews

A research method that summarizes the results of multiple studies on a specific topic, following a structured process to minimize bias.

Natural history

The progression of a disease or condition in the absence of any intervention.

Placebo effect

Improvements in health that can occur due to the belief in treatment rather than the treatment itself.

Bias

Any systematic error that can lead to incorrect conclusions about the relationship between treatment and outcome.

Regression to the mean

The tendency for extreme or unusual observations to return to more typical values over time.

Hawthorne effect

The alteration of behavior by study participants due to their awareness of being observed.

Polite patient effect

When patients may exaggerate their recovery to avoid disappointing their therapist.

Recall bias

A type of bias that occurs when participants selectively remember certain experiences, often those that are more extreme.

Effect size

A quantitative measure of the magnitude of the experimental effect.

Clinical guidelines

Recommendations based on systematic reviews of evidence to guide decisions in specific clinical scenarios.

Qualitative Research

Research that provides insights into the problem but does not quantify the data, focusing on understanding meanings and experiences.

Cohort studies

Observational studies where subjects are followed over time to assess outcomes based on exposure to certain risk factors.

Prognostic studies

Research aimed at predicting the likely outcomes or course of a disease.

Clinical decision-making rules

Tools that synthesize evidence to assist clinicians in making more consistent and informed patient care decisions.

Cross-sectional data

Data collected at a single point in time, often used to identify associations but not causation.