Comparison of Standard Setting Procedures to Establish Defensible Passing Standards for Clinical Skills Assessment: Angoff, Borderline Group, Contrasting Groups and Patient Safety Methods.

Introduction: Standard setting methods for clinical skills assessments help establish cut scores that accurately reflect clinical performance expectations. However, these methods lead to varied cut scores, and guidance for method selection is limited. This study compares the application of four methods.

PRALINE: study protocol for a phase IIb inpatient stroke rehabilitation randomized controlled trial investigating longitudinal outcomes after progressive abduction loading therapy.

Background: Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability with paucity of evidence-based interventions for individuals with severe upper extremity impairment in the affected arm. Loss of independent joint control limits reaching distance and velocity contributing to activity and participation limitations. Emerging evidence demonstrates improved independent upper extremity joint movement with training combining shoulder abduction loading during high repetition, task-specific reaching practice.

Emergency Department Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy for Dizziness and Vertigo: A Nonrandomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Dizziness symptoms account for nearly 2 million annual emergency department (ED) visits and present a diagnostic challenge for clinicians. Most dizziness research has focused on improving guideline-concordant care among clinicians, with little focus on developing patient-centered interventions to improve dizziness-related disability.

Objective: To examine the feasibility of ED vestibular rehabilitation therapy (ED-VeRT) using a protocolized diagnostic classification algorithm and collection of longitudinal patient-reported outcomes.

Understanding Behavior Change in Clinical Practice Guideline Implementation: A Qualitative Study.

Background And Purpose: Growing numbers of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are available to neurologic physical therapists to guide and inform evidence-based patient care. Adherence to CPG recommendations often necessitates behavior change for therapists and patients. The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain insight into the experiences, perspectives, and drivers of behavioral change for therapists working to improve adherence to a CPG.

Using Simulation-Based Mastery Learning to Achieve Excellent Learning Outcomes in Physical Therapist Education.

Introduction: The 2 aims of this observational study are (a) to describe the implementation and feasibility of a bed mobility skills simulation-based mastery learning (SBML) curricular module for physical therapist students and (b) to measure learning outcomes and student perceptions of this module.

Review Of Literature: Simulation-based mastery learning is an outcome-based educational approach that has been successful in other health professions but has not been explored in physical therapy education.

Subjects: Eighty-seven students in a single cohort of a Doctor of Physical Therapy program.

Systematic Development and Validity Evidence for a Checklist to Assess Bed Mobility Skills Among Physical Therapy Students.

Introduction: Assessments with strong validity evidence are necessary to accurately assess health professions students' performance of clinical skills. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a checklist assessment of physical therapy students' performance of bed mobility skills.

Methods: A checklist was developed using a 4-step process: 1) evidence review and preliminary checklist development, 2) Delphi review to reach consensus on content, 3) pilot testing and checklist editing, 4) final round of Delphi review.

Use of the knowledge to action model improved physical therapist adherence to a common clinical practice guideline across multiple settings: a multisite case series.

Background: When a new guideline is published  there is a need to understand how its recommendations can best be implemented in real-world practice. Yet, guidelines are often published with little to no roadmap for organizations to follow to promote adherence to their recommendations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of using a common process model to implement a single clinical practice guideline across multiple physical therapy clinical settings.

Checklist-Style Rubric Development for Practical Examination of Clinical Skills in Entry-Level Physical Therapist Education.

Background: Grading rubrics used in the assessment of physical therapy students' clinical skills should be developed in a method that promotes validity. This study applied a systematic approach to the development of rubrics to assess student performance within a Doctor of Physical Therapy curriculum.

Participants: Ten faculty participated.

Stride management assist exoskeleton vs functional gait training in stroke: A randomized trial.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that gait training with a hip-assistive robotic exoskeleton improves clinical outcomes and strengthens the descending corticospinal drive to the lower limb muscles in persons with chronic stroke.

Methods: Fifty participants completed the randomized, single-blind, parallel study. Participants received over-ground gait training with the Honda Stride Management Assist (SMA) exoskeleton or intensity-matched functional gait training, delivered in 18 sessions over 6-8 weeks.

Development, Implementation, and Use of a Process to Promote Knowledge Translation in Rehabilitation.

Objective: To examine the use and effect of the Battery of Rehabilitation Assessments and Interventions on evidence-based practice (EBP) over 6 years.

Design: Successive independent samples study.

Setting: Large rehabilitation system.

Allowing intralimb kinematic variability during locomotor training poststroke improves kinematic consistency: a subgroup analysis from a randomized clinical trial.

Background: Locomotor training (LT) to improve walking ability in people poststroke can be accomplished with therapist assistance as needed to promote continuous stepping. Various robotic devices also have been developed that can guide the lower limbs through a kinematically consistent gait pattern. It is unclear whether LT with either therapist or robotic assistance could improve kinematic coordination patterns during walking.

Enhanced gait-related improvements after therapist- versus robotic-assisted locomotor training in subjects with chronic stroke: a randomized controlled study.

Background And Purpose: Locomotor training (LT) using a treadmill can improve walking ability over conventional rehabilitation in individuals with hemiparesis, although the personnel requirements often necessary to provide LT may limit its application. Robotic devices that provide consistent symmetrical assistance have been developed to facilitate LT, although their effectiveness in improving locomotor ability has not been well established.

Methods: Forty-eight ambulatory chronic stroke survivors stratified by severity of locomotor deficits completed a randomized controlled study on the effects of robotic- versus therapist-assisted LT.