Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2026

Abstract

Objective: To determine the uptake and recommendations for revision of the 2018 Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG): Core Set Outcome Measures for Adults with Neurologic Conditions Undergoing Rehabilitation.

Design: Online Survey

Setting: Online with participants from multiple settings.

Participants: Licensed physical therapists (PT) or physical therapist assistants (PTA) or a non-PT supervisor of PTs and/or PTAs.

Interventions: N/A.

Main Outcome Measures:  An online survey was developed to determine respondents' knowledge, perceived benefits, challenges, gaps, and modifications made to the 2018 CPG as well as to ascertain respondents' recommendations for the CPG revision. Data were analyzed descriptively by respondent role (clinician, educator/researcher, or supervisor/manager). Respondents' narrative comments were coded into 3 categories: implementation challenges, modifications, and revision recommendations.

Results: Four hundred and ninety-seven individuals accessed the survey. Seventy-six percent (379) completed 80% of items. Two hundred and forty-one (63.5%) identified their primary role as clinician. The majority (99%) agreed they understood the purpose, process and recommendations of the CPG; 70% agreed that the CPG changed their practice. More than 70% agreed the CPG-recommended Core Set provided a comprehensive assessment of balance and gait. Narrative comments revealed implementation challenges including lack of time, space and buy-in. Clinicians made modifications to the Core Set including using fewer measures, adding other measures and modifying measures (e.g. changing distances, providing patient assistance). Suggestions for the CPG revision included adding higher and lower-level measures.

Conclusions: Despite reported barriers to clinical implementation of CPGs, survey respondents overwhelmingly reported gaining knowledge and changing practice in response to the 2018 CPG. They recommended the revision include measures to capture both higher- and lower-level activities. Future CPG developers should consider assessing uptake and recommendations to help guide CPG revisions.

Summary

To inform the update to a 2018 CPG on the use of outcome measures in neurological physical therapist practice, an online survey was used to determine respondents' knowledge, perceived benefits, challenges, gaps, and modifications made when using the 2018 CPG recommendations in practice.

Survey respondents were asked to provide their recommendations for the CPG update.

Survey data showed that the majority of respondents understood the purpose, process, and recommendations of the 2018 CPG and agreed that it improved their knowledge and changed their practice.

We recommend that future CPG developers consider assessing uptake and recommendations to help guide CPG revisions.

Comments

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License

Part 2 of 2

DOI

10.1002/gin2.70085

Publication

Clinical and Public Health Guideline

Volume

3

Issue

4

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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