Self-assessment of final-year undergraduate physiotherapy students’ literature-searching behaviour, self-perceived knowledge of their own critical appraisal skills and evidence-based practice beliefs

Abstract

Background. Health professionals and new graduates alike are expected to be efficient in applying evidence-based practice. Research and evidence-based practice skills are taught in the research modules at university, but it is not clear whether students translate those skills into clinical practice. Objective. To determine the self-assessment literature-searching behaviour, self-perceived knowledge of critical appraisal skills and evidence-based practice beliefs of final-year undergraduate physiotherapy students at a university in South Africa. Methods. This study used a quantitative approach, with a small qualitative component. A convenience sample of the final-year undergraduate physiotherapy students (N=36) registered for the 2012 academic year was approached to participate in the study. Data were collected using an existing questionnaire. Results. The study yielded a 75% response rate. With regard to literature-searching skills, 30% searched for literature more than once a week, 52% searched only for specific information and most had access to literature. Students received their information from journal articles (85%), the internet and databases. They were slightly confident when it came to literature appraisal and believed that evidence-based practice was essential to their practice (96%), but expressed a need for more training (59%). Their understanding of the evidence-based practice concept was limited because they based their treatment choices on content and other role-models, and related their choices to their previous patient experiences. Conclusion. Students believed that evidence-based practice was vital, yet their understanding of the concept was restricted when compared with the literature and they expressed a need for further training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]