| The purpose of this study was to examine the utilization, attitudes, and availability of resources of evidence-based practice in the United States by certified athletic trainers. The effect of different demographics, traits, and characteristics on the utilization, attitudes, and availability of resources were also examined. A questionnaire was designed to collect data and distributed to 1,000 certified athletic trainers. From the random sample of questionnaires distributed, 304 were returned, of which 290 were usable.;The three major constructs observed in this study were: (a) utilization of evidence-based clinical practice, (b) attitudes concerning evidence-based practice, and (c) availability of resources to find the evidence-based research. Assorted quantitative statistical analyses were used to analyze the data.;Results indicated: (a) when the level of education increased, the stronger the belief that clinical practice should be based upon research increased F(6, 284) = 2.63, p < .02; (b) certified athletic trainers with more education exhibited significantly greater positive attitudes toward evidence-based clinical practice than those with less education F(6, 284) = 2.28, p < .04; (c) certified athletic trainers who worked in clinics had greater availability of resources than those who worked in traditional educational settings F(4, 286) = 9.27, p < .01; (d) no significant differences were found comparing attitudes towards evidence-based clinical practice with years of experience; (e) certified athletic trainers utilizing evidenced-based research compared with years of experience resulted in no significant differences.;The utilization of evidence-based clinical practice is a complex issue. Revealed through this study, a majority of certified athletic trainers utilize it. It was also demonstrated by the data that the majority of certified athletic trainers have positive attitudes toward this concept. There appears to be a lack of available resources to perform evidence-based clinical practice for the majority of certified athletic trainers. For certified athletic trainers to continue to grow professionally, administrative and professional support for training must be involved. |
