Dr. Alessandra Narciso Garcia Trepte

Dr. Alessandra Narciso Garcia Trepte (Garcia AN)

As a physiotherapist with specialized training in family health from Santa Marcelina University (SP, Brazil), I hold a Master's and PhD in Physical Therapy from São Paulo City University (SP, Brazil) and a Post-Doctorate from Duke University (NC, USA). I am currently an assistant professor and researcher at Campbell University (NC, USA) and part of the leadership at Duke's Center of Excellence in Manual and Manipulative Therapy (CEMMT). I derive great satisfaction from being a driving force behind the development of the tool.

My professional journey has been deeply influenced by the principles of evidence-based practice (EBP) — the integration of the best available evidence with clinical expertise and patient values. The application of scientific evidence in clinical settings necessitates that clinicians be adept at evaluating the evidence's quality and relevance.

Numerous authors have contributed valid and reliable tools for appraising literature and assessing study quality. These resources are available in scientific publications, databases, and online platforms.

Through years of clinical and teaching experience, I've observed that clinicians and students often struggle to allocate time for researching and assessing evidence quality. Some are also unaware of where to find the necessary tools. This realization prompted me to consider:

• What if there was a unified source for the most frequently used appraisal tools?
• What if we could offer abbreviated versions of these tools to save clinicians time?
• What if one resource could appraise both the research methodological quality and its clinical applicability?

These considerations led to the creation of the "Evidence Leverage Tool" (Elev Tool), which aims to lower the barriers to implementing EBP and encourage the application of quality evidence in patient care.

The Elev Tool synthesizes and, in some cases, refines the questions from original tools to enhance clinician understanding. We also provide references to the original tools, honoring their creators and offering users the option to consult them.

You are certainly the most important cog for the tool to work and when using the Elev Tool.

Your participation is crucial. Using the Elev Tool, you can play a pivotal role in advancing clinical practice, education, and the quality of patient management. We invite you to join us in this endeavor to expand and share knowledge.