Physical therapists' evidence-based practice profile and perspectives of entry-level EBP education: a mixed methods study in the Philippines

Physical Therapists' Social Responsibility in the Philippines Entails Adopting a Societal Practice Framework: A Qualitative Study

OBJECTIVE

The study's objective was to explore Filipino physical therapists' views on social responsibility and the competencies it entails.

METHODS

This study employed a constructivism-based qualitative design to inquire into the perspectives of physical therapist leaders and practitioners in the Philippines on Filipino physical therapists' social responsibility. Leaders were invited for their macro perspectives and influence on the profession; practitioners were invited to provide more practical viewpoints. Participants were interviewed one-on-one online. Interviews were transcribed, translated to English, and subjected to thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Sixteen participants agreed to share their perspectives. Six themes were generated. Participants viewed the social responsibility of physical therapists in the Philippines as a professional duty that requires altruistic and social justice motivations. Socially responsible actions should address pressing issues affecting Filipino people's access to physical therapy and experience of health.

CONCLUSION

The social responsibility of physical therapists in the Philippines entails engaging in roles aside from clinical practice to contribute to Filipino people's attainment of health. This calls for the expansion of their ethical and practice frameworks to include addressing not only client issues, but also the wider societal barriers to equitable access to physical therapy and better experiences of health.

IMPACT

This study contributes to professional discourse on the increasing importance of social responsibility in the physical therapist profession amidst increasing rehabilitation needs and growing concerns on health inequity locally and globally, especially as worsened by the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. It informs the development of a societal practice framework for physical therapists in the Philippines and the desired changes in physical therapist policies and education to facilitate fulfillment of their societal obligations.

Evidence- based physiotherapy practice in Jordan: Evaluation and identification of implementation factors

BACKGROUND

Evidence-based physiotherapy practice (EBPTP) is becoming increasingly important to improve patient outcomes and clinical decision-making in the physiotherapy profession.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the EBPTP in Jordan and identify the barriers to its implementation in clinical practice.

METHOD

The study used a cross-sectional survey of licensed physiotherapists working in Jordan using EBPTP self-reported questionnaire. Frequencies, percentages, and one sample Wilcoxon rank test were used to evaluate the EBPTP level. The EBPTP implementation was evaluated by demographic variations of participants, Spearman's correlation, and stepwise multiple linear regression analyses at 95% confidence interval.

RESULTS

A total of 210 participants completed the survey. All EBPTP questionnaire elements showed significant positive levels (p = .00) except facility support reflecting non-significant negative level (p = .08). The EBPTP implementation was at a significantly lower level of uptake (p = .00). Clinical decision-making was based mainly on personal experience. The EBPTP implementation was significantly correlated with elements of the EBPTP questionnaire and differed by personal/organizational characteristics. There were four significant predictors of EBPTP implementation: understanding of EBPTP terminologies, facility support, formal training in EBPTP, and being a clinical instructor.

CONCLUSION

The findings confirm a clear gap in EBPTP implementation among physiotherapists in Jordan. The EBPTP implementation factors were mainly based on education sectors and work facilities. Engagement of stakeholders and education sectors in EBPTP implementation is required to strengthen the standing of the physiotherapy profession in Jordan.

Improving the Evidence-Based Practice Skills of Entry-Level Physiotherapy Students through Educational Interventions: A Scoping Review of Literature

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is an essential approach in healthcare, attracting growing interest among both practitioners and researchers. This scoping review aims to (1) systematically investigate the effectiveness of pedagogical methods used to facilitate learning of the EBP approach, and (2) explore the perceptions, experiences, and issues related to these learning methods. The overarching purpose is to identify the state of the art in pedagogical methods, instruments, influences, and barriers in teaching and learning EBP within entry-level physiotherapy education programs. This scoping review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines, with PubMed and Eric databases being searched for peer-reviewed original research articles using a combination of keywords. Excluding non-pertinent articles from the initial 465 identified, 12 were eligible for final inclusion (5 quantitative, 3 qualitative, and 4 mixed-methodology studies). A range of pedagogical methods and instruments for teaching EBP in physiotherapy education were detected, all of which having the capability to positively affect physiotherapy outcomes. Findings from this study support the significant influence that EBP exerts on the improving of the quality of teaching, together with the necessities that the involvement of EBP in physiotherapy education programs provide. Several barriers were identified, which should be taken into consideration when designing population-specific EBP strategies tailored to these particular needs.

Instruments for assessing healthcare professionals' knowledge and skills of evidence-based practice: A scoping review

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this scoping review was to describe the instruments used to assess the knowledge and skills of evidence-based practice (EBP) in healthcare settings.

METHODS

A scoping review was undertaken. Three electronic databases (CINAHL, PubMed and Cochrane) were searched in January 2022. The search phrases consisted of the following terms: healthcare professionals, EBP, competence and instrument and their synonyms, keywords and MeSH terms. The database search was run without any limitations. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed to support reporting.

RESULTS

Ultimately, 39 studies were included; most of them (35) were cross-sectional studies. The studies were conducted in 17 countries. A total of 17 evidence-based knowledge and skills instruments were identified. The Upton and Upton instrument was used in 19 studies. Twelve self-reported instruments were used only once. The psychometric properties of the instruments varied. The reliability was typically reported with Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The content of the EBP knowledge/skills instruments consists of five main categories: EBP, evaluation of current practice, preparation for the implementation of EBP, implementation of evidence and active participation in the development of EBP.

CONCLUSION

Almost all instruments are self-assessment instruments. Validated knowledge tests should be further developed. The instruments emphasise the preparation for the implementation of EBP. Further research is needed to develop instruments for healthcare professionals to assess the knowledge and skills of the implementation of evidence.

Measuring evidence-based practice in physical therapy: a mix-methods study

BACKGROUND

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is considered the "holy grail" to manage patients by health practitioners (such as physical therapists). However, sometimes, patients are not treated with the best interventions for their condition. Although studies already explored the facilitators and barriers for this issue, they increase in the level of importance if the information gathered are context appropriated. As the profession is relatively new in Portugal, currently little is known about the implementation of EBP in Portuguese physical therapists context. So, the aim of this study is to know if the Portuguese physical therapists use an EBP, and collect and deeper understand the factors, barriers and facilitators associated with EBP.

METHODS

This study incorporated a mixed-methods design (quantitative and qualitative). In an attempt to ensure the correct population sample, a national professional association e-mail database and the e-mails of past students from national schools were requested. For the quantitative data it was choose an e-survey, adapted from the EBP: Beliefs, Attitudes, Knowledge, and Behaviors of Physical Therapists Portuguese version questionnaire, consisted of 55 close-ended questions. It was analyzed response frequencies and associations between variables with logistic regression analyses. For the qualitative data, it was choose to perform semi-structured interviews in purposefully selected physical therapists to include different sociodemographic factors (especially those found to be statistically significant in the logistic regression) and survey responses regarding the physical therapists' beliefs, attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors. The interviews were performed in an online software, where only audio contact was performed. The audios were anonymized and verbatim transcribed, and the texts explored by the thematic approach.

RESULTS

From the 277 physical therapists that shown interest in participating in the study, 193 fully completed the questionnaire and, from those, 10 participated in the interviews. The Portuguese physical therapists reported positive beliefs, attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors regarding EBP. Among the physical therapists characteristics it seems that age (younger therapists), education (participating in continuing education courses; belonging to practice-orientated organizations; having a doctorate degree; pursuing a higher academic degree; and being a clinical instructor), and workplace (working for someone else account; and academic sector) are the main factors in the Portuguese EBP implementation. The Portuguese physical therapists, beyond the physical therapists individual characteristics and workplace, also stated that evidence, patients, clinical experience, schools, country and physical therapy characteristics, may behave as facilitators or barriers when performing an EBP.