Adherence to Stroke Rehabilitation Guidelines Among Physical Therapists and Internship Students

NCT07044817 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: E-10840098-202.3.02-2920
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 106
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this observational study is to learn about adherence to the 2024 VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines for Stroke Rehabilitation among Turkish physiotherapists and internship students treating post-stroke patients. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Licensed physiotherapists\*\* (with ≥1 year of experience)
• 4th-year physiotherapy students\*\* (during internships) to understand differences in compliance. Participants will:
• Complete an online survey about their:
• Use of guideline-recommended interventions (e.g., task-specific training, technology).
• Attitudes toward evidence-based practice.
• Perceived barriers to applying the guidelines.

Conditions

Evidence Based Practice; Stroke; Physical Therapist

Keywords

Stroke Rehabilitation; Evidence Based Practice; Clinical Practice Guidelines; Physical Therapists; Internship and Residency; Professional Practice Gaps; Health Knowledge; Attitudes; Practice; Turkey; Cross Sectional Studies; Treatment Adherence and Compliance; Health Services Accessibility; Physical Therapy Modalities; Clinical Competence; Practice Guidelines; Physical Therapy

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Comparison of Guideline Adherence Between Licensed Physical Therapists and Internship Students

  Analysis of differences in adherence scores between licensed physical therapists and internship students to identify any significant variation in guideline implementation practices.

  At the time of survey completion (Baseline)

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Adherence to Stroke Rehabilitation Guidelines Among Licensed Physical Therapists and Internship Students

  At the time of survey completion (Baseline)

• Identification of Barriers to Implementing Evidence-Based Stroke Rehabilitation Guidelines

  At the time of survey completion (Baseline)

Study Arms (2)

Licensed Physiotherapists

This group includes licensed physiotherapists in Turkey with at least one year of clinical experience treating post-stroke patients. Participants will complete a survey assessing their adherence to clinical practice guidelines, attitudes toward evidence-based practice, and perceived barriers in stroke rehabilitation.

Behavioral: Stroke Rehabilitation Guideline Adherence Survey

Physiotherapy Internship Students

This group includes final-year physiotherapy students currently completing their clinical internships in Turkey. Participants will complete a survey evaluating their knowledge, attitudes, and challenges related to stroke rehabilitation and the use of evidence-based guidelines.

Behavioral: Stroke Rehabilitation Guideline Adherence Survey

Interventions

Stroke Rehabilitation Guideline Adherence Survey BEHAVIORAL

This intervention consists of a structured online survey, the Stroke Rehabilitation Guideline Adherence Survey, designed to assess physiotherapists' and physiotherapy internship students' adherence to stroke rehabilitation clinical practice guidelines, their attitudes toward implementing evidence-based post-stroke care, and the perceived barriers-such as time constraints, limited resources, or insufficient training-that influence their compliance. No clinical treatments or procedures are administered; the sole "intervention" is the delivery of this comprehensive questionnaire.

Licensed Physiotherapists; Physiotherapy Internship Students

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 21 Years - 75 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Licensed physical therapists and final-year physiotherapy internship students from diverse clinical and academic settings across Turkey will be recruited via email invitations, academic program coordinators, and online professional forums such as WhatsApp and LinkedIn, ensuring a representative community-based sample of practitioners and trainees involved in post-stroke care.

You may qualify if:

• Licensed physiotherapists with ≥1 year of clinical experience.
• th-year physiotherapy students enrolled in accredited Turkish universities.

You may not qualify if:

• Incomplete survey responses (\<80% completion).
• Participants outside Turkey.
• Licensed therapists working in non-clinical roles (e.g., administrative, research-only).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Medipol University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Medipol University

Istanbul, Beykoz/İstanbul, 34810, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Related Publications (11)

• Cormican A, Hirani SP, McKeown E. Healthcare professionals' perceived barriers and facilitators of implementing clinical practice guidelines for stroke rehabilitation: A systematic review. Clin Rehabil. 2023 May;37(5):701-712. doi: 10.1177/02692155221141036. Epub 2022 Dec 7.

  PMID: 36475911 BACKGROUND

• Iles R, Davidson M. Evidence based practice: a survey of physiotherapists' current practice. Physiother Res Int. 2006 Jun;11(2):93-103. doi: 10.1002/pri.328.

  PMID: 16808090 BACKGROUND

• Jette DU, Bacon K, Batty C, Carlson M, Ferland A, Hemingway RD, Hill JC, Ogilvie L, Volk D. Evidence-based practice: beliefs, attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors of physical therapists. Phys Ther. 2003 Sep;83(9):786-805.

  PMID: 12940766 BACKGROUND

• Korner-Bitensky N, Desrosiers J, Rochette A. A national survey of occupational therapists' practices related to participation post-stroke. J Rehabil Med. 2008 Apr;40(4):291-7. doi: 10.2340/16501977-0167.

  PMID: 18382825 BACKGROUND

• Rochette A, Korner-Bitensky N, Desrosiers J. Actual vs best practice for families post-stroke according to three rehabilitation disciplines. J Rehabil Med. 2007 Sep;39(7):513-9. doi: 10.2340/16501977-0082.

  PMID: 17724549 BACKGROUND

• Dumoulin C, Korner-Bitensky N, Tannenbaum C. Urinary incontinence after stroke: identification, assessment, and intervention by rehabilitation professionals in Canada. Stroke. 2007 Oct;38(10):2745-51. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.107.486035. Epub 2007 Sep 6.

  PMID: 17823380 BACKGROUND

• Paci M, Faedda G, Ugolini A, Pellicciari L. Barriers to evidence-based practice implementation in physiotherapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Qual Health Care. 2021 Jun 26;33(2):mzab093. doi: 10.1093/intqhc/mzab093.

  PMID: 34110410 BACKGROUND

• Salbach NM, Guilcher SJ, Jaglal SB, Davis DA. Determinants of research use in clinical decision making among physical therapists providing services post-stroke: a cross-sectional study. Implement Sci. 2010 Oct 14;5:77. doi: 10.1186/1748-5908-5-77.

  PMID: 20946678 BACKGROUND

• Gale BV, Schaffer MA. Organizational readiness for evidence-based practice. J Nurs Adm. 2009 Feb;39(2):91-7. doi: 10.1097/NNA.0b013e318195a48d.

  PMID: 19190426 BACKGROUND

• Sackett DL, Rosenberg WM, Gray JA, Haynes RB, Richardson WS. Evidence based medicine: what it is and what it isn't. BMJ. 1996 Jan 13;312(7023):71-2. doi: 10.1136/bmj.312.7023.71. No abstract available.

  PMID: 8555924 BACKGROUND

• Donkor ES. Stroke in the 21st Century: A Snapshot of the Burden, Epidemiology, and Quality of Life. Stroke Res Treat. 2018 Nov 27;2018:3238165. doi: 10.1155/2018/3238165. eCollection 2018.

  PMID: 30598741 BACKGROUND

Related Links

• This website provides clinical practice guidelines on stroke rehabilitation published by the Veterans Affairs/Department of Defense (VA/DoD). It offers evidence-based recommendations relevant to the study protocol on post-stroke rehabilitation adherence

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Stroke; Behavior; Treatment Adherence and Compliance

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Cerebrovascular Disorders; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Vascular Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Health Behavior

Study Officials

• Gizem Ergezen Şahin, Dr. Assistant Professor

  Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation/Istanbul Medipol University

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: CASE ONLY
• Time Perspective: CROSS SECTIONAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 30, 2025
• First Posted: July 1, 2025
• Study Start: July 15, 2025
• Primary Completion: August 15, 2025
• Study Completion: September 1, 2025
• Last Updated: September 26, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)