September 30, 2012

Jane Fedorczyk, PhD, an associate clinical professor and Director of the Post-Professional Clinical Programs for the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, attended the Clinical Practice Guidelines Workshop at APTA Headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia from July 24 - 27. She is the leader of the Guide Development Group (GDG) for the Clinical Practice Guidelines for Tennis Elbow. The development of these guidelines is a collaborative effort between the Orthopedic and Hand Rehabilitation Sections of the APTA. The guidelines will ultimately be completed in 2014.

The Clinical Practice Guidelines for Tennis Elbow will denote examination procedures, typical patient demographics, epidemiologic data, and impairments, and include other resources about the condition. Fedorczyk said that knowledge translation is often a barricade within the medical community that can prevent practitioners from understanding standards or basic information about disorders and injuries. However, clinical guidelines can aid in the knowledge sharing process and become a reference for standards of care in practice. “Clinical practice guidelines will try to help clinicians make smart decisions about who needs treatment and what’s the best way to treat them. It’s economical, and streamlines the process of elimination,” Fedorczyk said.