Develop treatment plan Importance of Clinical Research As a member of a professional association it is the responsibility of all members to perform in ways which serve optimize patient care and consequently lead to the advancement of the profession. One of the best ways to achieve both of these responsibilities is to add to the current body of literature by relating ones own clinical experiences in a scientific manner. Possible topics of investigation can range from comparing the effectiveness of different types of treatment to determining the reliability of various measurement techniques. The fundamental rule for any research endeavor is to start with a clear, appropriate and well-defined research question. A good study starts with a good question.
Good questions come from knowing a topic and also from experience.
These are two traits a practicing physical therapist can use develop a research question and conduct a research study. The clinic is a fertile environment to develop the roots of a practical research question. Participation in research keeps you current. This essential part of the research process has been discussed in detail in a previous article. You will also become a more critical consumer of the literature and will be able to keep up to date by weeding out poorly designed studies from your reading list.