Analysis of the production of scientific literature in clinical research areas in Physiotherapy between 2005 and 2009

Objective: characterize the behavior of clinical research in Physiotherapy, through the analysis of the production of scientific literature in a period of five years in order to identify areas of concentration and dispersion, collaborative research and types of clinical studies have conducted. Methods and materials: descriptive study on the papers in Medline/PubMed from 2005-2009. Were considered a total 404 publications, clinical trials and epidemiological studies side, analyzed according to the percentage distribution of articles by clinical area, year of publication, and institutional affiliation of researchers. Results: It found a greater number of trials (93%) systematic reviews represented the greatest number of epidemiological studies side. The clinical areas pulmonary and cardiovascular account for 65% of scientific publications in the studies analyzed. The year with highest number of publications was 2008. Half of the clinical research produced in this five-year have affiliation with academic institutions, and secondly, studies conducted in hospitals. Conclusions: the clinical research publications in Physiotherapy in Medline/PubMed registered show sustained activity of scientific production in the pulmonary and cardiovascular areas, consistent with the major health concerns in the world. The findings suggest that the ability of physiotherapists to develop quality research, use and transfer of results into clinical practice should achieve greater development.