Use of Standardized Assessments and Online Resources in Stroke Rehabilitation

Background: The extent to which movement-related standardized assessments and online resources are used in stroke rehabilitation is unclear in the United States. Method: The researchers used a cross-sectional descriptive survey that examined (a) therapists use of movement-related standardized assessments, (b) factors influencing learning of new assessments, and (c) use of frequency of online resources by occupational therapists and physical therapists in the United States. Results: Of 151 respondents (46.4% occupational therapists, 53.6% physical therapists), the most frequently used movement-related assessments by occupational and physical therapists were the Berg and Fugl-Meyer Assessment, respectively. More physical therapists use motor-related standardized assessments regularly than occupational therapists, and physical therapists showed more consensus among standardized assessments. Both professions cited quality of patient care for motivating them to integrate outcome measures into practice. Most therapists in stroke rehabilitation used online resources to access movement-related standardized assessment content at least 25% of the time. The Rehabilitation Measures Database was the most frequently used website. Conclusion: Both occupational and physical therapists use online resources for movement-related standardized assessments on a regular basis. However, occupational therapists do not use standardized assessments as frequently as physical therapists. A systematic study of factors that impact the integration of standardized assessments is needed to further identify barriers and inform clinical practice change

The Roles of Physical Therapists in Wound Management: Part IV

Physical therapists are important members of the comprehensive wound management team. In addition to being able to provide standard wound care, they are well prepared to treat wounds with a variety of biophysical agents that introduce electromagnetic, acoustic, and mechanical energies that enhance healing. Physical therapists also address restoration of function that is frequently compromised in patients who suffer from chronically and acutely wounded tissues

Thrust Joint Manipulation Utilization by Us Physical Therapists

Study Design: Online survey study. Objective: To determine physical therapists’ utilization of thrust joint manipulation (TJM) and their comfort level in using TJM between the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions of the spine. We hypothesized that physical therapists who use TJM would report regular use and comfort providing it to the thoracic and lumbar spines, but not so much for the cervical spine. Background: Recent surveys of first professional physical therapy degree programs have found that TJM to the cervical spine is not taught to the same degree as to the thoracic and lumbar spines. Methods: We developed a survey to capture the required information and had a Delphi panel of 15 expert orthopedic physical therapists reviewed it and provide constructive feedback. A revised version of the survey was sent to the same Delphi panel and consensus was obtained on the final survey instrument. The revised survey was made available to any licensed physical therapists in the USA using an online survey system, from October 2014 through June 2015. Results: Of 1014 responses collected, 1000 completed surveys were included for analysis. There were 478 (48%) males; the mean age of respondents was 39.7 ± 10.81 years (range 24 – 92); and mean years of clinical experience was 13.6 ± 10.62. A majority of respondents felt that TJM was safe and effective when applied to lumbar (90.5%) and thoracic (91.1%) spines; however, a smaller percentage (68.9%) felt that about the cervical spine. More therapists reported they would perform additional screening prior to providing TJM to the cervical spine than they would for the lumbar and thoracic spine. Therapists agreed they were less likely to provide and feel comfortable with TJM in the cervical spine compared to the thoracic and lumbar spine. Finally, therapists who are male; practice in orthopedic spine setting; are aware of manipulation clinical prediction rules; and have manual therapy certification, are more likely to use TJM and be comfortable with it in all 3 regions. Conclusion: Results indicate that respondents do not believe TJM for the cervical spine to be as safe and efficacious as that for the lumbar and thoracic spines. Further, they are more likely to perform additional screening, abstain from and do not feel comfortable performing TJM for the cervical spine. Clinical Relevance: Our research reveals there is a discrepancy between utilization of TJM at different spinal levels. This research provides an opportunity to address variability in clinical practice among physical therapists utilizing TJM

Role of Physical Therapists in the Management of Individuals at Risk for or Diagnosed With Venous Thromboembolism: Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline

The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), in conjunction with the Cardiovascular & Pulmonary and Acute Care sections of APTA, have developed this clinical practice guideline to assist physical therapists in their decision-making process when treating patients at risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE) or diagnosed with a lower extremity deep vein thrombosis (LE DVT). No matter the practice setting, physical therapists work with patients who are at risk for or have a history of VTE. This document will guide physical therapist practice in the prevention of, screening for, and treatment of patients at risk for or diagnosed with LE DVT. Through a systematic review of published studies and a structured appraisal process, key action statements were written to guide the physical therapist. The evidence supporting each action was rated, and the strength of statement was determined. Clinical practice algorithms, based on the key action statements, were developed that can assist with clinical decision making. Physical therapists, along with other members of the health care team, should work to implement these key action statements to decrease the incidence of VTE, improve the diagnosis and acute management of LE DVT, and reduce the long-term complications of LE DVT

Promising Scope of Practice Models for the Health Professions

Compares California's SOP laws setting parameters for nurse practitioners, physical therapists, physician assistants, and paramedics to broader provisions in other states or institutions. Recommends more expansive and uniform SOP laws across states

Physical Fitness of Physical Therapy Students

Physical fitness norms do not exist for physical therapists or physical therapy students. This lack, in part, reflects the complexity of physical fitness and the scarcity of data reported on physical fitness norms of other populations. This report describes the methods used and the results obtained for 16 physical fitness factors of 98 female and 13 male physical therapy upperclassmen and discusses the implications of physical fitness in the practice of physical therapy. Means, standard deviations, ranges, and percentile rankings are given by sex for each of the 16 fitness factors. The purpose of this study was to begin to establish physical fitness norms. As physical fitness norms are established, it will be possible to determine how norms of physical therapists and physical therapy students compare with established values

Framework for the priority actions of filipino physical therapists in disaster risk reduction and management

Introduction: The study was conducted to develop a framework where physical therapists could be integrated into the disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) initiatives of a province in the northern Philippines. Methods: This was a mixed-methods study that utilized a research and development design. A validated questionnaire on the experience and perceptions of DRRM was administered to 20 selected physical therapists. A validated interview guide was administered to 10 local disaster control office head and members. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data. Thematic analysis was used to synthesize and examine the qualitative data. Results: Physical therapists were found to have minimal exposure to disaster scenarios due to lack of training and experiences in disaster response. However, the physical therapists perceive that they are prepared to participate in DRRM and should be included. The study also revealed that physical therapists are not part of the local disaster management team because of limited awareness of leaders and members of the disaster control office on the roles of physical therapists in disaster management. Discussion: This study developed an action-oriented framework to guide physical therapists\u27 active involvement in all phases of disaster management. Specific strategies for the priorities for action of physical therapists in DRRM were identified based on the results of the study and its theoretical underpinnings

Effects of emotional labor on musculoskeletal disorders among physical therapists in Seoul

Introduction: Health care workers, including physical therapists, have some of the most important roles in the health care system as shown during the COVID-19 pandemic. Physical therapists encounter emotionally and physically vulnerable patients, experience emotional labor, and are exposed to conditions that can lead to job stress and musculoskeletal disorders. We aimed to examine the relationship between physical therapists’ emotional labor and its effect on perceived job stress and risk of musculoskeletal disorders. Methods: We conducted a 30-day survey among 230 physical therapists working in various settings from October 2 to November 1, 2019. Questionnaires, including questions on musculoskeletal symptoms, perceived job stress, and emotional labor, were administered to the participants. Results: The physical therapist's surface behavior affected the body burden. Job burnout experienced by physical therapists had an effect on their interpersonal relationships. The physical therapist's emotional law affects the degree of compensation. Conclusion: To prevent the long-term consequences of work-related strain, physical therapists should receive support in terms of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and developing effective methods of communication with patients. Encouragement of activities for psychological rejuvenation with colleagues with whom they can share emotional difficulties is also desirable. It is also necessary to establish a communication channel that can directly convey the grievances of physical therapists to hospitals

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

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.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A Study of Licensed Physical Therapists\u27 Knowledge Regarding Current Legislative Issues

The purpose of this study was to determine the amount of knowledge licensed physical therapists have regarding certain legislation at the state and federal levels. Potential relationships between degree of knowledge and therapist characteristics such as age, number of years in practice, and professional membership were also examined. A survey instrument was mailed to a random sample of licensed physical therapists in the state of Michigan. Results indicated that licensed physical therapists who were members of a committee within the APTA, or held office in the organization had significantly more knowledge than physical therapists who did not (alpha=0.05). Being a member of the APTA, although not significant for the purposes of this study, showed potential for having increased knowledge (p=0.0561). Physical therapists who take an active role in the professional association tend to have higher levels of knowledge