Research and Evidence 1 (PHTY90094)

Graduate courseworkPoints: 6.25On Campus (Parkville)

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Overview

Availability
Semester 1 (Early-Start)
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This subject is the first in a series of three Research and Evidence subjects that will be delivered over the three year course duration. Specifically these subjects will focus on research as it applies to physiotherapy and the process of evidence based practice. Research and Evidence 1 will target the following foundations of research:

  1. Principles of evidence based practice;
  2. Concepts of measurement;
  3. Ethics of clinical human research;
  4. Descriptive statistics and introduction to epidemiology.

Research principles taught in this subject will be integrated and implemented into concurrent and subsequent first year subjects in the Doctor of Physiotherapy. For example, concepts of measurement taught in this subject will be the basis of the measurement tools studied in the concurrent subject Physiotherapy Theory and Practice 1.

Intended learning outcomes

  1. Analyse clinimetric properties when choosing measurement tools in physiotherapy practice
  2. Identify and describe the significance of high quality ethical clinical research in contemporary physiotherapy practice
  3. Describe the steps involved in practicing evidence-based physiotherapy
  4. Analyse factors that may impact upon a measurement tool's ability to accurately evaluate change with physiotherapy intervention and/or predict clinical outcome
  5. Compute and interpret descriptive statistics for a quantitative data set
  6. Critically appraise measurement research studies for the validity of their conclusions to contemporary physiotherapy clinical practice
  7. Explain how evidence-based physiotherapy practice is important for patients, the profession, policy makers and funders of physiotherapy services
  8. Describe how practice contexts (including access to research findings, cultural preferences and values, available resources and politics) influence the application of evidence based practice.

Generic skills

By the completions of this subject, students will have had the opportunity to develop the following generic skills

  • an understanding of research methods and their applications;
  • an appreciation of the responsibility to maintain standards of physiotherapy practice at the highest level throughout a professional career;
  • the ability to apply effective time management and organisational skills;
  • the ability to access new knowledge from all sources, to analyse and interpret it in a critical manner, and to apply it appropriately to their provision of health care.

Last updated: 4 March 2025