The pediatric physical therapists who took part in this project had positive attitudes toward evidence-based practice and made modest improvements in this area. It is critical for the profession to continue to investigate optimal strategies to aid practicing clinicians in applying research evidence to clinical decision making.

Articles pertaining to evidence-based practice have become increasingly visible in occupational therapy literature. Authors have defined and described evidence-based practice for occupational therapy (Lloyd-Smith 1997; Taylor 1997), identified resources that therapists can draw upon to inform their practice (Hayes & McGrath, 1998; Lieberman & Scheer, 2002), and articulated strategies to gather research evidence in practice (Tickle-Degnen 2000a; Unsworth, 2000). As associate editor of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy Evidence-Based Practice Forum, Tickle-Degnen has also written a series of articles that explain how to engage clients in the research process, and communicate research evidence to clients and families (1998, 2002).

Within occupational therapy education, there has been increased attention to curricula and courses that emphasize problem solving, clinical reasoning, and synthesis of information across traditional discipline-specific boundaries. This article describes the development, implementation, and outcomes of a problem-based learning course entitled Selected Cases in Occupational Therapy. The course was designed to help students to integrate the various elements of a specific occupational therapy curriculum and to enhance their abilities to respond to an ever-changing health care environment. An evaluation of the course by the first 11 students who completed it revealed both strengths and weaknesses. Students responded that the course enhanced their professional behavior, including interpersonal communication skills, team work, and follow-through with professional responsibilities; helped them to integrate the various elements of the total occupational therapy academic program; enhanced their clinical reasoning skills by providing a structure for thinking through clinical issues; and provided personal gain or benefit (i.e., students perceived the course to be a valuable, realistic, and motivating experience). The students also identified several specific course elements that contributed to its integrating function, including content, class session format, and students' role. Identified course weaknesses included the methods of evaluating student performance and the format and content of specific cases.