Impact of Entry-Level Curriculum Reform on Evidence-Based Practice Competencies in Physical Therapists: A Cross-Sectional Study

Importance Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a core competency in physical therapy. In 2015, France implemented a major reform of physical therapist education, extending training from 3 to 5 years and embedding EBP throughout the curriculum. However, whether this reform translates into improved EBP competencies remains unclear. Objective This study aimed to determine the impact of evidence-informed curriculum changes on EBP competencies among physical therapist graduates. Design This study was a national cross-sectional survey. Setting This study was conducted in France. Participants The participants were French physical therapists trained under the pre-reform (1989 to 2015) and post-reform (2015 to present) curricula. Intervention(s) or Exposure(s) The exposures included the 2015 reform of entry-level physical therapist education and participation in continuing education related to EBP. Main Outcome(s) and Measure(s) EBP competencies were assessed using the Evidence-Based Practice Profile questionnaire (EBP2) and the Knowledge of Research Evidence Competencies test (K-REC). The EBP2 evaluates self-reported attitudes, confidence, EBP use, and understanding of research terminology. The K-REC measures applied knowledge of research evidence using a clinical scenario. Results A total of 168 physical therapists participated. Compared with pre-reform graduates, post-reform graduates had higher scores across most EBP domains, with the largest improvement in the “Knowledge” domain (effect size = 0.50). Moderate gains were observed in “Terminology” and smaller but significant improvements in “Confidence” and attitudes toward EBP. Despite these gains, only 35.1% of respondents achieved a passing score on the knowledge test, and self-reported EBP practice remained limited. Continuing education and curriculum reform exerted independent and additive effects. Conclusions and Relevance The curriculum reform was associated with meaningful improvements in EBP competencies, particularly knowledge. However, important gaps remain between knowledge acquisition and routine clinical application, indicating that entry-level reform alone is insufficient to ensure sustained EBP implementation. These findings suggest that lifelong learning and supportive clinical environments remain necessary to achieve durable integration of evidence-based physical therapy.