Rehabilitation Researchers Learning Health Systems Needs Assessment Survey: An Updated Assessment of Research Competencies

Authors

• Pamela M. Dunlap, Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
• Kathleen M. Poploski, Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
• Catherine A. Anderson, Innovative Partnership for Advancing Rehabilitation Research and Training, Wisconsin Center for Education Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI.
• Thiru M. Annaswamy, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State Health Rehabilitation Hospital, Hershey, PA.
• Melissa A. Clark, Department of Health Services Policy and Practice, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI.
• Peter C. Coyle, Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
• Natalie F. Douglas, Department of Communicative Disorders, College of Liberal Arts, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA.
• Ann Marie Flores, Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL.
• Janet K. Freburger, Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
• Brian J. Hafner, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
• Ken J. Harwood, Clinical Research and Leadership, George Washington University, Washington D.C.
• Jeanne M. Hoffman, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
• Adam R. Kinney, Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, Aurora, CO.
• Linda Resnik, Department of Health Services Policy and Practice, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI.
• Kristin Ressel, Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
• Margarite J. Whitten, Department of Health Services Policy and Practice, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI.
• Christine M. McDonough, Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

9-1-2025

Journal

Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translation

Volume

7

Issue

3

DOI

10.1016/j.arrct.2025.100492

Keywords

Learning health systems; Needs assessment survey; Rehabilitation

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To use the updated Rehabilitation Researchers Learning Health Systems (LHS) Needs Assessment Survey for conducting a needs assessment and identify current knowledge and interest in LHS competencies among rehabilitation professionals. DESIGN: The anonymous, cross-sectional online survey included 70 competency items related to LHS research core competencies across 8 domains. SETTING: The respondents were recruited through the LHS Rehabilitation Research Network partners. PARTICIPANTS: There were 637 respondents (N=637) who indicated interest and knowledge in LHS research competency items and completed at least 1 competency item or 1 demographic question. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rehabilitation Researchers Learning Health Systems Needs Assessment Survey. RESULTS: The most common professions reported among respondents were physical therapy (24.5%), research (21.6%), and behavioral health (17.6%). The research questions and standards domain had the highest average proportion of respondents indicating "a lot" of interest (67.6%). The systems science domain had the highest average proportion of respondents indicating "none" or "some" knowledge (89%). Competency items that were of high interest and low knowledge were from the systems science, research methods and engagement, leadership, and research management, improvement and implementation, health and health care equity and justice, research questions and standards, and informatics domains. CONCLUSIONS: In this updated needs assessment survey of LHS competencies among the rehabilitation community, we found that there was continued high interest across LHS domains, high current interest in health and health care equity and justice domain topics, and limited knowledge related to systems science domain competency items. The results of the survey identified new directions for learning opportunities as well as areas for continued engagement to work toward achieving proficiency in LHS competencies among rehabilitation researchers.

APA Citation

Dunlap, Pamela M.; Poploski, Kathleen M.; Anderson, Catherine A.; Annaswamy, Thiru M.; Clark, Melissa A.; Coyle, Peter C.; Douglas, Natalie F.; Flores, Ann Marie; Freburger, Janet K.; Hafner, Brian J.; Harwood, Ken J.; Hoffman, Jeanne M.; Kinney, Adam R.; Resnik, Linda; Ressel, Kristin; Whitten, Margarite J.; and McDonough, Christine M., "Rehabilitation Researchers Learning Health Systems Needs Assessment Survey: An Updated Assessment of Research Competencies" (2025). GW Authored Works. Paper 8015.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/8015

Department

Clinical Research and Leadership