Attitudes toward standardized data collection.
OBJECTIVE
Clinical databases will gain importance as physical therapists need to determine the effectiveness and justify the expense of treatment. Obstacles impeding participation in standardized data collection need to be identified and addressed to construct high-quality databases.


METHODS
Subjects were clinicians involved in patient care in a multisite physical therapy/occupational therapy practice that had initiated a standardized data collection program.


METHODS
Questionnaires, asking about participation in the data collection project, were distributed to participating clinics. Factor analysis identified attitudes toward standardized data collection. Relationships between efforts to learn standardized methods, attitudes, clinic and clinician characteristics, and levels of participation in the project were investigated.


RESULTS
Most respondents (66%) had made some effort to learn the standardized procedures. Five attitudes were identified: inconvenience, acceptance of operational definitions, automation, paperwork, and training.


CONCLUSIONS
Inconvenience of data collection and training in standardized methods need to be addressed to construct large, high-quality databases.
Russek
L
L
Physiotherapy Associates, Glen Burnie, MD 21061, USA./russek@erols.com
Wooden
M
M
Ekedahl
S
S
Bush
A
A
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003625:Data Collection / Q000592:standards*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009788:Occupational Therapy; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016526:Workload