Information accessing behaviour of physical therapists

Twenty-seven physical therapists, who were actively engaged in clinical practice, were interviewed by telephone using semi-structured, primarily open-ended questions to gain an indication of the ways in which they obtained information relevant to their practices.The therapists reported using multiple methods (3-11) to obtain information. Twenty clinicians claimed to use reading to obtain information. Books and journals were usually read, but medical communications, patient protocols, school or course notes, and materials from company representatives were also read. The interviewees were able to identify few clinically useful books (mean = 3.1) and journals (mean = 2.1). Most of the clinicians had personal libraries and files containing reading material. The therapists said that they relied heavily on other people for information, especially other therapists in the work setting. The interviewees described specific ways of identifying therapists from whom information could be obtained, but they also said that they relied on therapists outside their work settings, other health care practitioners and non-health care professionals, including patients and their families. The primary forms of continuing education reported by the therapists were seminars, workshops and lectures (SWLs). The findings of this study have implications for both entry-level and continuing education.