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Course Preview | Holistic Stroke Rehabilitation and Research

We’re continuing to celebrate National Stroke Awareness Month with a preview of one of our newest on-demand video courses for rehabilitation providers, “Stroke Rehabilitation Maximizing Outcomes: Interventions,” taught by Geoff Mosley, PT, NCS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWxpGhYLaEE

Just as a stroke can affect a patient’s entire body, stroke rehabilitation also requires a holistic, total-person approach, rather than a narrow perspective focused only on PT interventions.

Critical to this holistic approach is an understanding of the latest evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. As much a part of professional growth as continuing education, staying up-to-date on current research is a vital practice for therapists. PTNow, ArticleSearch, PubMed/MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Library are good sources in which to find clinically sound research.

Here are a few things to remember when reviewing scientific literature:

  • Examine a wide variety of articles on a topic.
  • Avoid predatory or non-peer reviewed journals.
  • When available, review articles are a good shortcut to seeing the state of current evidence.
  • Unless looking at seminal articles, search for articles published in the last five years.
  • Know how to determine the quality of research.
  • Remember: randomized double-blinded controlled studies with larger sample sizes often yield the highest quality data, while case studies and anecdotal articles often yield lower quality results.

If you’d like to learn more about the latest developments in holistic care for stroke patients, you can purchase the full on-demand video course here: Stroke Rehabilitation Maximizing Outcomes: Interventions.

Go in depth with more critical topics in our growing library of CE courses for physical therapy professionals and occupational therapy professionals, or enjoy an unlimited pass to all courses with Elite Passport Membership.