Recently I attended a continuing education course on physical agent modalities hoping to get refreshed on how/when/and why to use things like e-stim, moist heat, ultrasound, etc. What I ended up learning was much more important and useful. The instructor lectured mainly about the importance of evidence based practice and research to back up and drive every treatment we use in therapy. I must say, this concept was basically drilled into our minds back in my masters program; however, other than occasionally reading the American Journal of Occupational Therapy and collaborating with other therapists this has not become one of my daily or even weekly habits. This course, however, was a great kick in the butt to use all of the wonderful resources available to us OT's. It has also help drivin my choices for future continuing eduction topics I am interested in to make sure that what I am paying to learn about will be supported by research. Here are a few great websites and resources to use:
When searching from the simple search area, look for systematic reviews or practice guidelines for the best research.
Use the Clinical Queries for the best research.
Use the search bar in the upper right corner.
When looking at the strength of the studies/research look for systematic reviews-the are by far the best and what insurance companies use to validate reimbursement.
Also, search your smartphone's applications. I have a droid and found applications for both PEDro and for PubMed which makes research quick and easy!
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