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Author Response

	Introduction

 
We want to thank Dr Jette for his thoughtful commentary on our article. We would be very pleased if our article can encourage increased communication and collaboration among physical therapy clinicians and researchers to facilitate the publication of clinically relevant, new evidence. In so many instances, the clinician who identifies the important clinical question is without the time, knowledge, or resources to design and implement the research project and requires the assistance of individuals with research expertise. Often these resources are not easy to find, and our profession must develop strategies and processes that facilitate collaborative research activities. The North American Orthopaedic Rehabilitation Research Network is one example of how clinicians and clinical researchers can work together to advance the profession by sharing strengths in a collaborative manner.¹ More such partnerships are necessary to help increase the amount of clinical research. We also agree with Dr Jette that a broader scope of research activities, including such topics as prognosis, prediction, and treatment efficacy, is necessary so that clinicians will have the appropriate evidence to guide practice.

We would like to make one point for clarification. Our article is about the state of research presented in selected physical therapy journals, not about the state of physical therapy research. For every clinical profession, the literature is spread among a broad range of journals. Furthermore, the best literature in any field generally appears in the journals with the biggest circulation. So, for example, if the quality of the information is high and the results are clinically relevant (scientist to clinician communication), general medical journals may be chosen as the forum for distribution of the information. This is especially so for interdisciplinary research. Therefore, we remind readers that there are many other journals where high-quality research undertaken by physical therapists is published. A comprehensive understanding of the state of research and publication practices of physical therapists would require a very different process of journal review than the one we present here.

We appreciate this opportunity to discuss strategies to produce and disseminate evidence among our professional colleagues.

	Reference

Top Introduction Reference

 

1. Binkley JM, Stratford PW, Lott SA, Riddle DL. The Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS): scale development, measurement properties, and clinical application. Phys Ther.1999; 79:371–383.[Abstract/Free Full Text]

This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Rapid Responses are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Miller, P. A Articles by Haynes, R B. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Miller, P. A Articles by Haynes, R B.