Louis N. Awad, PT, DPT, PhD

Excellence in physical therapy practice necessitates the incorporation of scientific evidence, clinical expertise, and patient values and expectations into decision-making. This course will focus on the appraisal of scientific evidence related to the synthesis of examination data (i.e., diagnosis) and the determination of the plan of care (i.e., prognosis). You will walk away from this course knowing how to ask focused questions related to these elements of clinical practice, appraise the associated literature, and use this evidence to enhance the care you provide patients and clients. We will also explore how qualitative research informs clinical practice differently from quantitative methods. (Credits: 2)

Discussion of issues in clinical research design and the development of special research methodologies for clinical problem solving. (Credits: Var)

This course will provide students with an integrative study of the scientific basis for human movement that spans the fields of biology, neuroscience, biomechanics, and behavior. The course is guided by the belief that to evaluate and treat movement dysfunction, it is necessary to understand the structure of the neuromotor system in relation to its ecological functions. Through lectures, labs, and reflection activities, students will develop a holistic and principle- based understanding of how we move, why we move the way we do, and how rehabilitation interventions and technologies can be used to treat movement impairments. (Credits: 2)