Deaf sport involves the practice of sports performed by deaf athletes, contributing to the development of self-esteem, quality of life and greater social participation of members of the deaf community. Thus, physical therapy performance plays a fundamental role in maintaining and improving the functional capacity of this population. Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) is a process that integrates the best scientific evidence, the physical therapist's clinical experience and the patient's preferences, aiming to offer an adequate and efficient service and treatment, guaranteeing quality of care. Thus, EBP should be used by professionals in clinical practice with the deaf athlete population. However, no studies are found in the literature that highlight its use by professionals working with this population.

Evaluate the knowledge and use of EBP by physical therapists who work in deaf sports

This is a pilot study, conducted in parallel with a quantitative exploratory cross-sectional study. Brazilian physical therapists participated, female and male, who had been working for at least 3 months in deaf sports and who were associated with state deaf sports federations or the Brazilian Confederation of Deaf Sports (CBDS). A semi-structured questionnaire was used, prepared by the research team, with questions about personal and demographic data, professional training, and the use of EBP. Nominal and/or ordinal variables were described in absolute and relative frequency.

Five physical therapists (30.4±3.36 years) participated, mostly male (60%, n=3). 80% of the participants (n=4) had already heard about EBP, with 60% (n=3) indicating that they use EBP partially in their appointments, and 20% (n=1) said that EBP is a determining factor in choosing the best conduct. As resources used for clinical decision-making, 100% (n=5) use clinical experience, 80% (n=4) use clinical practice guidelines and 60% (n=3) use scientific articles, demonstrating a non-homogeneous use of the pillars that support EBP. Regarding the updating of clinical knowledge, 80% (n=4) took courses and participated in scientific events/conferences, 60% (n=3) use scientific articles, 40% (n=2) reported participating in study groups and only 20% (n=1) reported using books, suggesting that knowledge updating may have often been based on sources with high risks of bias.

Physical therapists who work in deaf sports are aware of EBP, use resources related to it, but still encounter difficulties and limitations for its applicability in clinical practice. Future studies, with more professionals, are necessary for a national overview of the knowledge of EBP by physical therapists who work in deaf sports.

There are still no studies in the literature evaluating the influence of EBP on the performance of the physical therapist in Brazilian deaf sports, despite knowing that this can promote adequate, efficient, and higher quality physical therapy treatment. From the data found, professional education policies to promote greater knowledge and use of EBP by these professionals are necessary for a more qualified service to the deaf athlete population.