Why Physios Should Read Research and How Our Biases Shape It

Karen Litzy talks with Neil O'Connell, a senior lecturer in physiotherapy at Brunel University London, chronic pain researcher and Cochrane editor. He argues that a profession claiming a scientific basis must be literate in evidence, and that its development should be driven by good data from a broad range of methods, not only randomized controlled trials. Neil criticizes social media debates where people trade PubMed links they have never read, an exercise in confirmation bias rather than evidence-based practice. Before reading a paper, ask what you want the truth to be, why, and whether any evidence would change your mind. Almost any treatment has a trial that supports it, so actively seeking evidence that challenges your view is instructive. People also tend to criticize papers that challenge their beliefs and go easy on those that agree, sometimes called rescue bias. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tools guide readers through whether results are valid, what they show and whether they apply locally. Many clinicians find research methods hard, and those skills fade without use.