Authors:
Carolee Winstein, PT, PhD, FAPTA
Patricia Pate, MPT, NCS
Tingting Ge, MS
Carolyn Ervin, PhD
James Baurley, MS
Katherine J. Sullivan, PT, PhD
Samantha J. Underwood, MS
Eileen G. Fowler, PT, PhD
Sara Mulroy, PT, PhD
David A. Brown, PT, PhD
Kornelia Kulig, PT, PhD
James Gordon, PT, EdD, FAPTA
Stanley P. Azen, PhD
Physical Therapy Clinical Research
Network (PTClinResNet)*
Affiliations:
From the Division of Biokinesiology and
Physical Therapy at the School of
Dentistry, University of Southern
California, Los Angeles, California (CW,
PP, KJS, KK, JG); Department of
Preventive Medicine, Keck School of
Medicine, University of Southern
California, Los Angeles, California (TG,
CE, JB, SPA); Division of Biokinesiology
and Physical Therapy at the School of
Dentistry, University of Southern
California, Los Angeles, California (SJU);
Department of Surgery, Oregon Heath &
Science University, Portland, Oregon
(SJU); University of California, Los
Angeles, Los Angeles, California (EGF);
Rancho Los Amigos National
Rehabilitation Center, Downey, California
(SM); and Department of Physical
Therapy and Human Movement
Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine,
Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
(DAB).
0894-9115/08/8711-0937/0
American Journal of Physical
Medicine & Rehabilitation
Copyright © 2007 by Lippincott
Williams & Wilkins
The Physical Therapy Clinical
Research Network (PTClinResNet)
Methods, Efficacy, and Benefits of a Rehabilitation
Research Network
ABSTRACT
Winstein C, Pate P, Ge T, Ervin C, Baurley J, Sullivan KJ, Underwood SJ, Fowler
EG, Mulroy S, Brown DA, Kulig K, Gordon J, Azen SP; Physical Therapy Clinical
Research Network (PTClinResNet): The Physical Therapy Clinical Research
Network (PTClinResNet): methods, efficacy, and benefits of a rehabilitation
research network. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2008;87:937–950.
This article describes the vision, methods, and implementation strategies used in
building the infrastructure for PTClinResNet, a clinical research network de-
signed to assess outcomes for health-related mobility associated with evidence-
based physical therapy interventions across and within four different disability
groups. Specific aims were to (1) create the infrastructure necessary to develop
and sustain clinical trials research in rehabilitation, (2) generate evidence to
evaluate the efficacy of resistance exercise– based physical interventions de-
signed to improve muscle performance and movement skills, and (3) provide
education and training opportunities for present and future clinician–researchers
and for the rehabilitation community at-large in its support of evidence-based
practice. We present the network’s infrastructure, development, and several
examples that highlight the benefits of a clinical research network. We suggest
that the network structure is ideal for building research capacity and fostering
multisite, multiinvestigator clinical research projects designed to generate evi-
dence for the efficacy of rehabilitation interventions.
Key Words: Multisite Clinical Trials, Medical Rehabilitation, Outcomes Research,
Disablement Model, Biomedical Informatics, Physical Therapy
November 2008 CT Clinical Research Network 937
REPORT & REVIEW
Outcomes