Central concern:

The central concerns surrounding this assignment included an initial lack of knowledge regarding
clustering. In addition to a lack of understanding of diagnostic patterns of facet joint dysfunction
relating to pertinent clinical manifestations, history and physical examination including orthopaedic
testing. Additional concerns included working on this task as a member of a group, rather than
independently.

What is the real problem/do I have the skills to address the central concern:

The real problem associated with the central concern is my personal lack of exposure to clustering,
diagnostic patterns of facet joint dysfunction and the combination of this. While the real problem
associated with my apprehension of working on this as a group resulted from a lack of experience in
completing assessment tasks as a group, in addition to my personal need to strive for perfection. It
was necessary to compile additional research and resources to allow me to further understand
clustering and the application of this to facet joint pathology diagnosis.

Where can I find the information and skills I need/Can I trust the new information source:

After discussion with participating group members I deemed it necessary to review trusted
resources including N.Vizniak’s ‘orthopaedic conditions’ and ‘orthopaedic assessment’ textbooks in
addition to T.Souza’s ‘differential diagnosis and management of the Chiropractor’, D.Magee’s
‘orthopaedic physical assessment’ and Netter’s ‘orthopaedic clinical examination’ to identify and
gather information that would not only assist in my personal understanding of the topic but also aid
completion of the task. Following this, I conducted many searches for peer reviewed literature
regarding facet joints, specific orthopaedic tests and clustering of tests that provide positive
indications of facet joint pathology. Following this and using the same research modality, in depth
research of the history that indicates facet joint pathology was investigated which was used to guide
potential history questions and provide rationale for these questions. Each of these sources used
were evaluated and deemed to be reliable prior to investigation of the information contained in the
literature, therefore the information obtained was able to be trusted.

Do I need a team approach to this:

As this was a group-based assessment a team approach was vital, this team approach was
implemented by participating group members to plan and allocate tasks, research and eventually
write and present the assessment item. It was necessary to liaise with group members and provide
constructive feedback to obtain the best result. At an individual level it was necessary to respect
each group member’s ideas and contributions, even when personal opinions, ideas or manner of
writing and articulation was different.

How can I be sure that the new approach has addressed the central concern or resulted in a
positive change:

After completing this assessment task alongside participating group members, I have gained an
increased understanding of the importance of clustering physical examination including orthopaedic
testing and patient history to aid in diagnosis. Upon completion I feel the development and
understanding of this will enable me to provide improved patient treatment in the future. I have
personally gained great insight into diagnosis of facet joint pathology and associated clustering and
feel more prepared for treating patients who present with this in the future. Finally working with
peers has highlighted the importance of forming collaborative relationships and taking different
perspectives into consideration to enhance personal understanding, development and ultimately
enhance patient treatment.