Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35158222›Full record

Observational studyBrazilian journal of physical therapy

The Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) has better free full-text access than PubMed: An observational study.

Anne M Moseley, David Fernández Hernando, Bruno T Saragiotto, Saurab Sharma, Elisa Maharjan, Mark R Elkins

Abstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in Brazilian journal of physical therapy. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Does the Scientific Literature on Fractures Support Evidence-Based Physiotherapy? Mapping the Evidence on the PEDro Platform.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapy · 2025
    Review
  3. Current state of evidence-based practice in clinical physiotherapy.The South African journal of physiotherapy · 2025
    Article
  4. Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Anne M MoseleyInstitute for Musculoskeletal Health, The University of Sydney and Sydney Local Health District, Camperdown, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: anne.moseley@sydney.edu.au.
David Fernández HernandoHospital Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain.
Bruno T SaragiottoMasters and Doctoral Programs in Physical Therapy, Universidade Cidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Saurab SharmaCentre for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW, Australia; School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Centre for Musculoskeletal Outcomes Research, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Department of Physical Therapy, Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences, Dhulikhel, Kavre, Nepal.
Elisa MaharjanStar Hospital, Lalitpur, Nepal.
Mark R ElkinsCentre for Education and Workforce Development, Sydney Local Health District, Rozelle, NSW, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAccess to full-text articles is an essential element of evidence-based practice.

objectiveEstimate the percentage of articles in the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) that have free full-text access and compare free access between PEDro and PubMed. Secondary objectives for access via PEDro: determine if publication year and geographic location impact on free access; determine if adding a link to a portable document format (PDF) locator website would improve free access; and evaluate the association between article characteristics and free access.

methodsThis observational study used a random sample of 200 articles published in 2000-2019 and indexed in PEDro. Data collectors in Australia, Brazil, Nepal, and Spain attempted to access free full text for each article via PEDro. One data collector attempted to access free full text via PubMed. One data collector attempted to access full text via a PDF locator (http://www.pdfsearchengine.net/). The percentage (95% confidence interval [CI]) of articles with free full-text access from PEDro, PubMed, and the PDF locator website were calculated. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between free full-text access and article characteristics.

resultsFree full text could be accessed via PEDro for 51% of the articles (95% CI: 44, 58). PEDro had 4% higher free access than PubMed (95% CI: 1, 7). Access via PEDro did not vary systematically with time, geographic location, or article characteristics. Access improved by 9% (95% CI: 6, 14) by adding a PDF locator website.

conclusionsPEDro is a good source of free full-text articles for physical therapists and other rehabilitation professionals. Evidence resources, professional organisations, employers, researchers, and research agencies could all help to increase access to free full text.

Indexed as

Physical TherapistsPhysical Therapy ModalitiesBrazilDatabases, FactualHumansPubMedAccess to informationDatabases, BibliographicEvidence-based practicePhysical therapists

Identifiers

PMID35158222
PMCPMC8850732

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.