#drstephenmay

In this excerpt from the PT Pro Talk Podcast, Dr. Stephen May discusses the importance of randomized control trials (RCTs) in testing the efficacy of interventions. RCTs are considered the gold standard for study designs but can be complex and expensive to conduct. They aim to ensure internal validity, which refers to the reliability of the study methods and the trustworthiness of the outcomes. Key components of RCTs include randomization to reduce selection bias, control groups to account for natural history, and blinding to minimize ascertainment bias. While blinding is challenging in physiotherapy trials, efforts are made to minimize bias among patients, therapists, and assessors.

In this video, Dr. Stephen May discusses the significance of Randomized Control Trials (RCTs) in the context of physical therapy on the PT Pro Talk Podcast. He highlights the methodology's role in assessing treatment efficacy and minimizing bias. Dr. May emphasizes the importance of properly designing and executing RCTs to ensure reliable results for informed clinical decisions in physical therapy practice.

Our guest is Dr. Stephen May MA, FCSP, Dip MDT, MSc, PhD. Stephen May trained as a physiotherapist in Leeds, UK, and graduated in 1990; he then worked in the NHS, UK, in musculoskeletal care. In 2002 he became a senior lecturer and then Reader at Sheffield Hallam University teaching on research issues and musculoskeletal care, and supervising many MSc and PhD students. He has written textbooks with Robin McKenzie detailing Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy in the Extremities (2000), Lumbar Spine (2003), and Cervical Spine (2006), chapters in textbooks, and articles in scientific journals; with over 100 publications in total. He has served on several national and international committees relating to guideline development and the McKenzie Institute and has peer-reviewed numerous international physical therapy and musculoskeletal journals. In 2006 he was awarded a Fellowship by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy for contributions to the profession. He has more or less retired since 2019.