Evidence-based Practice in Health Professions - Physiotherapy

22B1340

Bachelor

German

5.0

winter- and summerterm

1 semester

The aim of the module is to acquire in-depth knowledge of the terms, principles and work steps of evidence-based practice relevant for therapy professions, taking into account cultural, social and gender diversity, to recognise their relevance for quality assurance, to apply them to one's own professional group an to communicate in the context of interprofessional cooperation. The concept of evidence-based practice (EBP) is a prerequisite for better (interprofessional) patient care. Implementing EBP in everyday clinical practice means being able to draw regularly and purposefully on the academic body of knowledge of current research in order to make correct clinical decisions for patients (diagnosis, prognosis, assessing the clinical course, initiating an intervention). One part of this course is devoted to a journal club activity. The Journal Club is a well-established method to systematically answer questions from the daily work of Health Allied Professions (occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, and physical therapy) with the best available evidence and to discuss them in a group of peers. Participants select studies according to specific criteria on a relevant topic and present them in the plenum. Subsequently, the scientific quality and clinical usefulness of the study results for the work with patients are discussed. The method learned here can also be continued in professional life after graduation, e.g. in digital form.

Teaching Unit 1: Guidelines and evidence-based practice
1.1 Fundamentals of evidence-based medicine and practice
1.2 Forms of evidence
1.3 Steps in evidence-based practice
1.4 Instruments of evidence-based medicine and practice
1.4.1 Guidelines
1.4.1.1 Goals, target groups and areas of application of (medical) guidelines
1.4.1.2 Development and implementation of guidelines in the health care system
1.4.1.3 The role of the AWMF (Association of Scientific Medical Societies) in relation to EBP and guidelines
1.4.1.4 Classes of guidelines and their characteristics
1.4.1.5 Assessment tools of guidelines (e.g. DELBI, 3-stage concept of guideline development of the AWMF)

Teaching Unit 2: Professional group-specific applications (occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, physiotherapy): Assessment of (international) studies in the form of a "journal club"

2.1 Basic introduction to journal club and its formats (e.g. classic, digital platform etc.)
2.2 Study designs and their relevance for the research and clinical practice in occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and physiotherapy
2.3 Evidence hierarchies
2.4 Tools for assessing the risk of bias of different types of studies
2.5 Profession-specific tools for assessing external evidence from (international) studies
2.6 Apply assessment tools and criteria to assess the methodological and statistical quality of an (international) study against the background of socio-cultural diversity in healthcare
2.7 Evaluate the significance and quality of an (international) study with conclusions for the practical therapeutic approach taking into account aspects of cultural, social and gender diversity
2.8 Transferability of research results for clinical practice

The total workload for the module is 150 hours (see also "ECTS credit points and grading").

1 SWS is calculated with 15 hours workload, with 3 SWS: 45 hours lecturer-bound workload
Teaching Unit 1: 1 SWS, Teaching Unit 2: 2 SWS each

• Oral presentation, with written elaboration or
• Written examination or
• Homework / Assignment

The examination performance takes the form of a "Journal Club", which involves the critical evaluation of a selected study with the help of an appropriate evaluation instrument.

Presentation: approx. 30 minutes; accompanying paper: 3-5 pages

This module assumes knowledge of basic principles and procedures of systematic literature research as well as the aims and characteristics of different study designs.

Students who have successfully completed this module ...

• understand the different forms of evidence and know ways of securing or reviewing each of them.
• illustrate the principles and steps of evidence-based practice in detail.
• understand and explain the aims and areas of application of guidelines.
• differentiate and categorise various instruments for the evaluation of external evidence from studies.
• distinguish and categorise criteria for the evaluation of external evidence from studies.

Students who have successfully completed this module ...

• understand the different forms of evidence and know ways of securing or reviewing each of them.
• illustrate the principles and steps of evidence-based practice in detail.
• understand and explain the aims and areas of application of guidelines.
• differentiate and categorise various instruments for the evaluation of external evidence from studies.
• distinguish and categorise criteria for the evaluation of external evidence from studies.

Students who have successfully completed this module ...

• critically evaluate specialized literature according to recognized criteria.
• interpret the results of relevant scientific literature and classify their usefulness

Students who have successfully completed this module ...

• use guidelines specifically as an instrument for decision-making within the framework of evidencebased practice.
• draw on evaluated evidence from studies for informed decision-making.
• base their therapeutic activities on the best available evidence in clinical practice.
• ensure that their own therapeutic work is based on recognised evidence.
• include aspects of cultural, social and gender diversity in their decision-making.

Students who have successfully completed this module ...

• develop an adapted and appropriate therapeutic approach based on assessed findings from external evidence and match this with the needs of their clients/patients, taking into account cultural, social and gender diversity.
• select critically evaluated evidence for their own research process.
• reflect on the current state of external evidence and derive existing research needs.

Students who have successfully completed this module ...

• can present and justify the significance of evidence-based practice in a well-founded manner in discourse with representatives of the field.
• incorporate findings from effectiveness studies into decision-making processes and communicate these in a patient/client-adapted manner on the basis of shared-decision-making and taking into account cultural, social and gender diversity.
• discuss the relevance of the use of research to establish clinical evidence in discourse with representatives of their own and other health-relates disciplines.

Students who have successfully completed this module ...

• critically reflect on their professional actions on the basis of evidence-based practice and in consideration of cultural, social and gender diversity.
• see themselves as scientifically reflective and lifelong learning practitioners.

The module strengthens care-related competences and builds on knowledge and skills of systematic literature research as well as knowledge of the empirical research process from the previous module "Introduction to Empirical Research for Therapy Professions". The module also prepares students for the Scientific Practice Project and the Bachelor's thesis by teaching them to identify evidence gaps and research needs or to assess the current state of evidence.

• International Physiotherapy, B.Sc.

• Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Physiotherapy, B.Sc.

• Schneider, Barbara

• Unknown person
• Schneider, Barbara