Evidence-Based Practice in Pediatric Physical Therapy: A Protocol for the Scoping Review with Scientometric Analysis

Background: In order to enhance health outcomes, evidence-based practice (EBP) integrates professional competence, patient or family values, and the best available research data when making clinical decisions.Incorporating EBP in physical therapy, including pediatric physical therapy (PPT), is important.There is growing interest in pediatric PT, and the lack of synthesis of EBP research in PPT underscores the need for this study to synthesize available evidence and map keywords related to EBP implementation in PPT.Objective: This scoping review with scientometric analysis aims to synthesize the existing literature on EBP implementation in PPT.It will not evaluate the quality of evidence or generate practice recommendations.Methods: Studies will be searched in the following databases from inception to 30 September 2025: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, PEDro, and Google Scholar.Studies on PPT that implemented EBP and were published in English will be included in the review.A scientometric analysis using VOSviewer will be conducted to construct a keyword map and visualize EBP concepts in PPT.The scoping review will follow the Arksey and O'Malley methodological framework to synthesize data extracted into themes.Expected Results: The results will be presented through scientometric maps and thematic analysis.