Conclusion
To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt at exploring the construct of (lack of) time for CPG uptake in relation to the PTs’ readiness to behaviour change. ’Lack of time’ is a commonly reported barrier in research into improving evidence uptake in professional physiotherapy practice. This study shows that ’lack of time’ is a euphemism for quite different barriers, which map to different stages of readiness to embrace current best evidence into physiotherapy practice. For people who are not ready to change their clinical practice behaviours, statements about ’lack of time’ may relate to evidence uptake being a low priority, or with lack of awareness of the need to change, or incentives to make changes. For people who are contemplating making changes to their evidence-implementing behaviours, statements about ’lack of time’ may relate to perceived lack of skills and/or knowledge, concerns about how to commence a change process in their local contexts, or perceived lack of support from colleagues or management. For people who are embracing behaviour change, ’lack of time’ may relate to competing priorities of learning and doing or making enough inroads into current workload to establish and maintain changed practices. Embracing and actioning evidence-informed practice is essential to improve professional practice and maintain standards. By understanding what is meant by ’lack of time’, it may indicate the specific support required by physiotherapists at different stages of changing their behaviours.