Skip to main content
Bulletin of the Medical Library Association logoLink to Bulletin of the Medical Library Association
. 1995 Apr;83(2):196–201.

Physical therapists in private practice: information sources and information needs.

E F Hall 1
PMCID: PMC226027  PMID: 7599585

Abstract

Increasing numbers of physical therapists are providing evaluation and therapy in their own private-practice clinics. Their move out of the hospital setting has reduced their access to the sources of information designed to support clinical and practice-management decision making. The author designed a survey to determine how often physical therapists in private practice in Vermont use seven sources of information for clinical and practice-management decision making. Survey respondents also were asked to rate the anticipated usefulness of a variety of health sciences library information and research services not currently available to them and to rank access paths to information according to their preferences. The therapists' responses show frequent reliance on personal and office collections of professional literature for clinical decision making but virtually no use of bibliographic databases. Respondents ranked document-delivery services and mediated searches as having the greatest anticipated usefulness for clinical decision making. The limitations of their current information-seeking behavior and their high level of interest in increased access to a wide range of information and research services make physical therapists in private practice of special interest to health sciences librarians who are planning outreach programs.

Full text

PDF

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Aiken D. Clinical information: where to get answers. Phys Ther. 1979 Sep;59(9):1107–1109. doi: 10.1093/ptj/59.9.1107. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bunch A. J. Using libraries. Physiotherapy. 1980 Oct;66(10):337–339. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Domholdt E. A., Malone T. R. Evaluating research literature: the educated clinician. Phys Ther. 1985 Apr;65(4):487–491. doi: 10.1093/ptj/65.4.487. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Domholdt E., Durchholz A. G. Direct access use by experienced therapists in states with direct access. Phys Ther. 1992 Aug;72(8):569–574. doi: 10.1093/ptj/72.8.569. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Schafer D. S. Environmental-scanning behavior among private practice physical therapy firms. Phys Ther. 1991 Jun;71(6):482–490. doi: 10.1093/ptj/71.6.482. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Singleton M. C. Independent practice--on the horns of a dilemma. A special communication. Phys Ther. 1987 Jan;67(1):54–57. doi: 10.1093/ptj/67.1.54. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Williams R., Baker L., Roberts J. G. Information searching in health care: a pilot study. Physiother Can. 1987 Mar-Apr;39(2):102–109. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Zimny N. J. Making information accessible and useful to practicing clinicians. Problem-knowledge coupling. Int J Technol Assess Health Care. 1992 Winter;8(1):109–117. doi: 10.1017/s0266462300007972. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Bulletin of the Medical Library Association are provided here courtesy of Medical Library Association

RESOURCES