Understanding Physiotherapy Research
About this ebook
The requirement for physiotherapists to engage with evidence-based practice has never been more apparent and the benefits of such an approach are clear. Evidence derived from research is a cornerstone of evidence-based practice, but before such evidence can be incorporated into an evidence-based paradigm, it should be appraised and its trustworthiness and applicability considered. This means that evidence-based physiotherapy practitioners need to be aware of the inherent strengths and limitations of research studies and what these mean for their practice.
However, this is not always a straightforward process and it is not uncommon for both novice and experienced physiotherapists to become lost in the language of research. To facilitate the evolution of evidence-based physiotherapy practice, this book aims to bridge the gap by presenting a clinically focused range of methodological discussions in relation to specific research study designs in physiotherapy. The intention of the book is to offer a platform upon which readers can develop their understanding of meaningful critical appraisal and consequently gain confidence when reading published research.
About the author
Stephen May is a Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy at Sheffield Hallam University. He is a chartered physiotherapist and worked clinically in the UK National Health Service before taking up his current post. In 2008 Stephen was awarded a PhD for work relating to the developmental aspects of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy and has published extensively, authoring three books, many book chapters and peer-reviewed journal articles, in the field of musculoskeletal physiotherapy.
