Physical Therapy

Top Research Topics at Physical Therapy?

The journal mainly deals with areas of study such as Physical therapy, Physical medicine and rehabilitation, Rehabilitation, MEDLINE and Medical education. Range of motion is a major topic of Physical therapy research. The study on Physical medicine and rehabilitation presented in Physical Therapy intersects with subjects under the field of Stroke.

• Physical therapy (34.60%)
• Physical medicine and rehabilitation (19.02%)
• Rehabilitation (7.43%)

What are the most cited papers published in the journal?

• Interrater Reliability of a Modified Ashworth Scale of Muscle Spasticity (3934 citations)
• The Kappa Statistic in Reliability Studies: Use, Interpretation, and Sample Size Requirements (2573 citations)
• Reliability of the PEDro Scale for Rating Quality of Randomized Controlled Trials (2474 citations)

Research areas of the most cited articles at Physical Therapy:

The published papers facilitate discussions on Physical therapy, Physical medicine and rehabilitation, Randomized controlled trial, MEDLINE and Reliability (statistics). While work presented in the journal articles provide substantial information on Physical therapy, it also covers topics in Intraclass correlation and Low back pain. The most cited articles hold forums on Physical medicine and rehabilitation that merge themes from other disciplines such as Stroke and Test (assessment).

What topics the last edition of the journal is best known for?

• Internal medicine
• Surgery
• Disease

The previous edition focused in particular on these issues:

The journal is organized to address concerns in the fields of Physical therapy, Rehabilitation, Physical medicine and rehabilitation, Randomized controlled trial and Psychological intervention. The study of Physical therapy encompasses disciplines such as Health care, as well as fields such as Qualitative research, all of which overlap with one another. In Physical Therapy, Observational study, Stroke, Occupational therapy, Telerehabilitation and Acute care are investigated in conjunction with one another to address concerns in Rehabilitation research.

Issues in Physical medicine and rehabilitation were discussed, taking into consideration concepts from other disciplines like Ankle and Isometric exercise. The work on Randomized controlled trial tackled in Physical Therapy brings together disciplines like Quality of life and Cognition. It explores research in Psychological intervention and the adjacent study of Anxiety.

The most cited articles from the last journal are:

• Brachial Plexus Neuropathies During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Case Series of 15 Patients in Critical Care. (14 citations)
• Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing to Assess Persistent Symptoms at 6 Months in People With COVID-19 Who Survived Hospitalization - A Pilot Study. (7 citations)
• Evaluation of Pragmatic Telehealth Physical Therapy Implementation During the COVID-19 Pandemic. (6 citations)

Papers citation over time

A key indicator for each journal is its effectiveness in reaching other researchers with the papers published at that venue.

The chart below presents the interquartile range (first quartile 25%, median 50% and third quartile 75%) of the number of citations of articles over time.

Top authors and change over time

The top authors publishing in Physical Therapy (based on the number of publications) are:

• Jules M Rothstein (151 papers) absent at the last edition,
• Alan M. Jette (93 papers) published 3 papers at the last edition, 4 less than at the previous edition,
• Helen J. Hislop (92 papers) absent at the last edition,
• Richard W. Bohannon (71 papers) absent at the last edition,
• Rebecca L. Craik (65 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition.

The overall trend for top authors publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top authors.

Top affiliations and change over time

Only papers with recognized affiliations are considered

The top affiliations publishing in Physical Therapy (based on the number of publications) are:

• American Physical Therapy Association (892 papers) published 21 papers at the last edition, 3 more than at the previous edition,
• Washington University in St. Louis (157 papers) published 6 papers at the last edition, 3 more than at the previous edition,
• University of Pittsburgh (157 papers) published 5 papers at the last edition, 1 less than at the previous edition,
• Boston University (141 papers) absent at the last edition,
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (141 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition the same number as at the previous edition.

The overall trend for top affiliations publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top affiliations.

Publication chance based on affiliation

The publication chance index shows the ratio of articles published by the best research institutions in the journal edition to all articles published within that journal. The best research institutions were selected based on the largest number of articles published during all editions of the journal.

The chart below presents the percentage ratio of articles from top institutions (based on their ranking of total papers).Top affiliations were grouped by their rank into the following tiers: top 1-10, top 11-20, top 21-50, and top 51+. Only articles with a recognized affiliation are considered.

During the most recent 2021 edition, 3.72% of publications had an unrecognized affiliation. Out of the publications with recognized affiliations, 20.85% were posted by at least one author from the top 10 institutions publishing in the journal. Another 10.04% included authors affiliated with research institutions from the top 11-20 affiliations. Institutions from the 21-50 range included 17.76% of all publications and 51.35% were from other institutions.

Returning Authors Index

A very common phenomenon observed among researchers publishing scientific articles is the intentional selection of journals they have already attended in the past. In particular, it is worth analyzing the case when the authors participate in the same journal from year to year.

The Returning Authors Index presented below illustrates the ratio of authors who participated in both a given as well as the previous edition of the journal in relation to all participants in a given year.

Returning Institution Index

The graph below shows the Returning Institution Index, illustrating the ratio of institutions that participated in both a given and the previous edition of the conference in relation to all affiliations present in a given year.

The experience to innovation index

Our experience to innovation index was created to show a cross-section of the experience level of authors publishing in a journal. The index includes the authors publishing at the last edition of a journal, grouped by total number of publications throughout their academic career (P) and the total number of citations of these publications ever received (C).

The group intervals were selected empirically to best show the diversity of the authors' experiences, their labels were selected as a convenience, not as judgment. The authors were divided into the following groups:

• Novice - P < 5 or C < 25 (the number of publications less than 5 or the number of citations less than 25),
• Competent - P < 10 or C < 100 (the number of publications less than 10 or the number of citations less than 100),
• Experienced - P < 25 or C < 625 (the number of publications less than 25 or the number of citations less than 625),
• Master - P < 50 or C < 2500 (the number of publications less than 50 or the number of citations less than 2500),
• Star - P ≥ 50 and C ≥ 2500 (both the number of publications greater than 50 and the number of citations greater than 2500).

The chart below illustrates experience levels of first authors in cases of publications with multiple authors.

Nursing Opportunities in Physical Therapy

As physical therapy and rehabilitation continue to evolve, a critical role that often intersects this domain is nursing. Especially in Hawaii, Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) that have an interest or specialization in physical therapy and rehabilitation are integral to the profession's progressive nature. Particularly, the establishment of robust nursing practices within physical therapy contributes to the improved quality of patient care and outcomes. For those considering a career intertwined with these sectors, understanding the requirements to practice nursing within this specific area is essential. The requirements differ slightly between states, and for those considering practicing in Hawaii, specific licensing requirements apply. Detailed information about the hawaii nursing license requirements and nursing license cost should be considered as part of career development planning. Furthermore, engaging in continued professional development opportunities, including participating in research associated with physical therapy, rehabilitation, and nursing, can greatly augmented the nurse's experience and expertise in this unique interdisciplinary area. By broadening the knowledge and understanding surrounding nursing within the realm of physical therapy and rehabilitation, we can improve the quality of care provided to patients and their overall health outcomes. Whether an experienced nurse or a novice, the contribution you could make to this area of practice is invaluable, providing new perspectives and innovations that drive the profession forward.