Research and Evidence 3

This subject is not offered in 2014.

120 hours

Students will need to allow approximatley 3 hours a week of self-directed learning and assignment preparation. Self-directed learning will include on-line learning.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject will build on and integrate research knowledge from Research and Evidence 1 and Research and Evidence 2 to apply research concepts in the individual physiotherapy clinical practice streams. Specific content in this subject will focus on systematic reviews and meta-analyses, incorporating statistical analysis and critical appraisal relevant to such study designs. Clinical guidelines will also be a focus, emphasising possible processes for development as well as how they can be used to inform clinical practice and application of tools available for critical appraisal. Strategies for communicating research findings (eg posters, conference presentations, journal papers) will be explored. Application of measurement in clinical practice, including diagnostic accuracy, clinical decision rules and clinical utility, will be studied. Steps involved in developing a research proposal and strategies for incorporating evidence-based practice into daily clinical practice will draw together the three years of curriculum in this stream of subjects.

The curriculum for the DPT program has been designed around 8 Learning Outcomes under 3 elements.

Element 1: Physiotherapy Theory and Practice

• Critically appraise systematic reviews and clinical guidelines for the validity of their conclusions to contemporary physiotherapy clinical practice.
• Interpret findings from common statistical approaches relevant to meta-analytical study designs
• Interpret findings from measurement tests in order to predict diagnosis and/or prognosis
• Communicate the methodology and findings of a research study for a physiotherapy audience in a oral presentation

Element 2: Research and Evidence

• Interpret the relevance of findings from systematic reviews and clinical guidelines to physiotherapy practice, particularly in relation to treatment strategies
• Implement strategies that facilitate the practice of evidence-based physiotherapy in clinical settings

Element 3: Healthcare in Context

• Evaluate the diversity of populations represented in systematic review data and the generalisability of findings to culturally and ethnically diverse populations.
• Identify the sources of funding available for physiotherapy research, and how this funding shapes the research agenda in physiotherapy.

• Individual written assignment - critical appraisal of systematic review or clinical guidelines (1500 words) (mid semester) 35%
• Individual 1000 word critical evaluation of paper in research forum. (continuous) Marked by peer review 10%
• Group written assignment - development of a research proposal (4000 words) (end of semester) 35%
• Group oral presentation of research proposal (20 mins) (end of semester) 20%

The same texts as prescribed in Research and Evidence 1 (year 1) and Research and Evidence 2 (year 2) will be used in this subject:

Practical Evidence-Based Physiotherapy. (Herbert R, Jamtvedt G, Birger Hagen K & Mead J), 2 nd ed, London, Butterworth Heinemann, 2011.

Foundations of Clinical Research: Applications to Practice (Portney LG & Watkins MP), 3 rd ed, Pearson/Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 2008

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On completion of this subject, students will have had the opportunity to develop the skills associated with the DPT graduate attributes including:

• an appreciation of the responsibility to contribute towards the generation of new knowledge
• an appreciation of the responsibility to maintain standards of physiotherapy practice at the highest level throughout a professional career
• reaching a high level of achievement in writing, generic research activities, problem-solving and communication
• accessing new knowledge from all sources, to analyse and interpret it in a critical manner, and to apply it appropriately to their provision of health care