Exploring the Journey of Clinician to Clinician Researcher

Abstract

Date Presented 04/04/19

This descriptive study examined the experience of OT and PT clinicians involved in research. Needs, supports, and barriers were identified for involvement in research. Strategies were discovered to enhance the development of clinical researchers. This new knowledge can foster the preparation of more OT clinician researchers, ensuring achievement of Vision 2025, enhancing effective solutions for participation in everyday life by creating evidence for practice, and improving outcomes.

Primary Author and Speaker: Elizabeth Ridgway

Additional Authors and Speakers: Carol Terilli, Tim Conly, Joanne Hunt, Donna Kelly, Roseann Schaaf

PURPOSE: To develop evidence for practice, occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) clinicians must find effective strategies for engagement in clinical research. To identify strategies, we surveyed clinicians involved in research. Our objectives were 1) To examine the career experience, choices and characteristics of OT and PT clinicians involved in clinical research. 2) To assess needs and supports necessary for clinicians to become involved in clinical research, and 3) Use results to inform program and workplace changes to enhance development of more clinical researchers.

DESIGN: In this descriptive study, we surveyed clinicians involved in research via Survey Monkey. Potential participants were identified by study Primary Investigators and review of clinician authored publications. A total of 55 requests were sent via invitation and weblink.

METHOD: OT (17) and PT (9) currently participating in clinical research completed the survey. Qualitative analysis was used to examine characteristics of clinicians involved in clinical research. Content analysis was used for coding to classify responses and develop themes of clinicians’ experiences with frequencies.

RESULTS: Eighty percent of participants had 16+ years of experience and 77% pursuing advanced degrees:25% Masters; 54% clinical doctorates; and 20% PhD, ED or ScD. Most participants became involved in research for discipline, personal and/or professional growth; to participate, perform and/or develop research; for best practice; academic opportunity and scholarly activities; and to improve outcomes/efficacy.

Clinicians credited their success in research participation with having a supportive community strong personal traits, systematic thinking, advanced training, clinical expertise and partnerships. Workplace supports included encouragement. Barriers in the work place were lack of: protected time and funding, getting published, training in research skills and administrative support.

Clinicians felt most competent in research skills: critical review of evidence, EB searches, participating in existing/new research project and developing a research question. They were least competent in writing a grant, obtaining funding, data analysis, statistics, developing research partnerships, getting published, QA project participation and development.

Skills needed to build research participation were writing grants, obtain funding, statistics, data analysis, manuscript writing, getting published, writing a research proposal, and building administrative support. Professional organizations can expand clinician research participation by offering research training, publish fact sheets that support benefits of research participation, provide funding opportunities, connect partners, inform of opportunities and funding resources.

Recommendations to other clinicians interested in becoming involved in research:Seek advanced degree and training opportunities; network, mentorship, build partnerships with researchers. Professional educational programs can offer flexible training for clinicians, mentorship, connections to researchers and academics and involve students in real research projects.

CONCLUSION: This study examined the experience and characteristics of OT and PT clinicians who become involved in research. Needs and supports of clinicians were identified along with barriers to involvement in research. Recommendations were offered to organizations, educational program, employers and to clinicians to enhance the development of more clinical researchers. This new knowledge can foster the preparation of more OT clinician researchers ensuring achievement of Vision 2025 enhancing effective solutions for participation in everyday life by creating evidence for practice and improving outcomes.

References

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