ArticleBMJ open2026
Determinants and strategies for implementing guideline-adherent physiotherapy: a scoping review.
Article in BMJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
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Abstract
objectivesClinical practice guidelines support evidence-based care and aim to reduce unwarranted variation in healthcare. Despite evidence that guideline-adherent physiotherapy is associated with reduced healthcare utilisation, adherence among physiotherapists remains inconsistent. This scoping review aimed to synthesise evidence on determinants of guideline adherence and implementation strategies in physiotherapy and to identify research gaps relevant to guideline implementation.
designScoping review. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, PEDro and CINAHL were searched from database inception to July 2023 and updated in July 2025. Grey literature sources, including Grey Literature Report, OpenGrey and Web of Science Conference Proceedings, were also searched. Reference lists of included studies were screened. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Studies were eligible if they examined determinants of guideline adherence and/or implementation strategies in physiotherapy. Studies involving physiotherapists across all clinical fields and settings were included. Only studies published in English or German were considered. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Determinants were analysed using qualitative content analysis and mapped to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Implementation strategies were summarised using Proctor's reporting recommendations.
resultsFifty-eight studies were included: 29 examined determinants, 25 implementation strategies and four both. Determinants were identified across all CFIR domains, with most relating to the Inner Setting and Characteristics of Individuals. Implementation strategies primarily targeted individual-level change, such as education, reminders and feedback, whereas few addressed system-level factors, including organisational leadership or reimbursement structures.
conclusionGuideline implementation in physiotherapy is shaped by determinants across individual, organisational and system levels, yet current strategies predominantly focus on individual clinicians. This individual-level focus may contribute to the responsibilisation of clinicians for care quality, while organisational and system-level strategies that have shown promise in other fields remain underutilised in physiotherapy. Future implementation initiatives should adopt broader, system-oriented approaches to enhance long-term implementation success. STUDY REGISTRATION: Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/g5cpt/).
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