From the Ground Up: Empowering Local Opinion Leaders in Physical Therapy Systems.

Abstract

<b>SYNOPSIS:</b> There have been many attempts to implement evidence-based practice and reduce unwarranted variation in musculoskeletal rehabilitation. Rarely have these attempts included local opinion leaders-people who inhabit local clinical settings and greatly influence their peers. In this Viewpoint, we discuss the contribution local opinion leaders can make to translating knowledge to practice, and the lessons learned from a failed effort to do so. We then suggest catalyzing the skills of local opinion leaders by emphasizing proximity, using a "peers over promotion" approach, allocating time, and fostering cultures of learning. As research continues to investigate how to improve the ways that health care is delivered, we argue that clinics and health systems could prioritize engaging local opinion leaders as one of the most practical ways to do so. <i>J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2025;55(12):1-5. Epub 26 September 2025. doi:10.2519/jospt.2025.13508</i>.