Research-Informed Clinician: The Last Post in the Series
I am getting my presentations ready for the American Music Therapy Association's national conference next month. I was accepted to present about my process of becoming a more research-informed clinician, and I am pulling together the information that I want to share about the process that works for me. As I've been putting the PowerPoint presentation together, I have been evaluating my process and progress towards becoming more research-informed.
I also received an edition of Music Therapy Perspectives on Saturday, so it prompted these thoughts.
During the presentation itself, I will lead attendees through my process. It was selected as part of the Music Therapy Research 2025 initiative, so I guess that I'll talk a bit about the importance of research to clinicians while in the middle of trying to figure it out for myself. I still struggle with the use of research to inform my clinical decisions, but I am getting better at discussing this topic. That's progress, right?
My process is something that is becoming a habit rather than a process needing instructions, so I think I'm becoming more research-informed. I know that I look at research offerings with a more critical eye than I did before this process started. I also know that I still don't find answers to my questions in the current research literature. It is not easy extrapolating answers to clinical questions when the current trend in much of our literature is not necessarily focused on clinical questions. Most of the research I've read lately has to do with either increasing research methodology or becoming a better therapist - not necessarily focusing on what to do with clients in the music therapy clinic. When this type of research happens, it's up to me to figure out how to find answers to the questions that I have about the effect of music on my clients.
What to do?
Dive into older research.
I have a dilemma with my current population where there just aren't that many current music therapy research articles about my population. There are a bit more articles if I go back outside the normal time parameters, but my clinical questions aren't necessarily answered by those older articles. As a result, I have to use my experience as both clinician and researcher to try to figure out answers.
I am continuing to ask myself my clinical questions and continue to search for answers in research (both music therapy and non-music therapy articles). Believe it or not, I get more answers from outside the music therapy literature than I do from within. The more I read, the more questions I end up with at the end of reading. I think that's a good thing.
Will I see you in Sandusky? If so, consider stopping by on Friday afternoon for some practice in reading research to find answers to clinical questions. I'll start you off on your own journey!
I also received an edition of Music Therapy Perspectives on Saturday, so it prompted these thoughts.
During the presentation itself, I will lead attendees through my process. It was selected as part of the Music Therapy Research 2025 initiative, so I guess that I'll talk a bit about the importance of research to clinicians while in the middle of trying to figure it out for myself. I still struggle with the use of research to inform my clinical decisions, but I am getting better at discussing this topic. That's progress, right?
My process is something that is becoming a habit rather than a process needing instructions, so I think I'm becoming more research-informed. I know that I look at research offerings with a more critical eye than I did before this process started. I also know that I still don't find answers to my questions in the current research literature. It is not easy extrapolating answers to clinical questions when the current trend in much of our literature is not necessarily focused on clinical questions. Most of the research I've read lately has to do with either increasing research methodology or becoming a better therapist - not necessarily focusing on what to do with clients in the music therapy clinic. When this type of research happens, it's up to me to figure out how to find answers to the questions that I have about the effect of music on my clients.
What to do?
Dive into older research.
I have a dilemma with my current population where there just aren't that many current music therapy research articles about my population. There are a bit more articles if I go back outside the normal time parameters, but my clinical questions aren't necessarily answered by those older articles. As a result, I have to use my experience as both clinician and researcher to try to figure out answers.
I am continuing to ask myself my clinical questions and continue to search for answers in research (both music therapy and non-music therapy articles). Believe it or not, I get more answers from outside the music therapy literature than I do from within. The more I read, the more questions I end up with at the end of reading. I think that's a good thing.
Will I see you in Sandusky? If so, consider stopping by on Friday afternoon for some practice in reading research to find answers to clinical questions. I'll start you off on your own journey!
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