title: Use of the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) in Japan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) may help users to overcome some obstacles to evidence-based physiotherapy. Understanding the extent to which Japanese physiotherapists access research evidence via the PEDro website may suggest strategies to enhance evidence-based physiotherapy in Japan.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To quantify usage of PEDro in Japan, to compare this to usage in other countries, and to examine variations in PEDro usage within Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational study of PEDro usage with geographic analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data about visits to the home-page and searches of the database were recorded for 4 years. These data were analysed by each region of the World Confederation for Physical Therapy, each country in the Asia Western Pacific region, and each prefecture in Japan.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 2010 to 2013, users of PEDro made 2.27 million visits to the home-page and ran 6.28 million searches. Usage (ie, number of searches normalised by population) was highest in Europe, followed by North America Carribean, South America, Asia Western Pacific, and Africa. Within the Asia Western Pacific region, population-normalised usage was highest in Australia, then New Zealand and Singapore. Japan ranked 10 among the 26 countries in the region. Within Japan, the highest population-normalised usage was in the Nagano, Kumamoto and Aomori prefectures, which was ten-fold higher usage than in some other prefectures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although Japan has higher PEDro usage than many other countries in the Asia Western Pacific region, some prefectures had very low usage, suggesting that evidence-based practice may not be being adopted uniformly across Japan.
authors.affiliation: Division of Physiotherapy, Saitama Prefectural University.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takasaki
authors.affiliation: Centre for Education & Workforce Development, Sydney Local Health District; The George Institute for Global Health; Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney.
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Elkins
authors.affiliation: The George Institute for Global Health; Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney.
authors.forename: Anne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Moseley
keywords: clinical research; evidence-based practice; physical therapy