Recruitmuent and retention of Physical Therapists (PTs) by public school systems has been identified in the literature as a significant problem, and the resultant shortage of school-based PTs hinders the capability of school systems to deliver physical therapy services to exceptional students as mandated by federal statute. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of job satisfaction among physical therapists who currently work in public school settings. Job satisfaction can be an important factor affecting recruitment and retention. A systematic sample of 462 school-based PTs was chosen to receive via mail a survey instrument which requested information regarding age, gender, highest academic degree, salary, and various aspects of their working environment. In addition, the survey instrument included the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire-Short Form(MSQ), and three open-ended questions. There was a 67% return rate. The results of the study showed that the majority of PTs working in public schools are satisfied with their jobs. Their principal sources of satisfaction included the opportunity for social service, job security, creativity, flexibility, autonomy, and the opportunity to work with children and to see them succeed. They were dissatisfied with school policies and procedures, opportunities for advancement, quality of supervision, high caseloads, and limited space and equipment. It was concluded that school administrators charged with recruitment and retention of PTs should consider inclusion of PTs in supervision and in the development of policies and procedures. They should also consider enhancements of available space and equipment.

Bakgrund:Ländryggssmärta är en vanlig orsak till nedsatt funktionsförmåga och 60–80% av alla vuxna har upplevt smärta i ländryggen någon gång i livet. Fysisk aktivitet (FA) har god evidens att förhindra att ländryggssmärtan utvecklas till kronisk samt för att minska smärta och öka/bibehålla funktion. Fysioterapeutstudenter inhämtar under utbildningen kunskap om betydelsen av FA i både prevention och behandling, men lever vi som vi lär? Syfte:Att undersöka förekomst av ländryggssmärta, genomsnittlig mängd FA samt skillnader gällande mängd och intensitet av FA hos fysioterapeutstudenter i Sverige med respektive utan ländryggssmärta. Studien har även undersökt könsskillnader avseende prevalens av ländryggssmärta.  Metod:En tvärsnittsstudie av kvantitativ, komperativ och icke-experimentell design. En webbenkät skickades till samtliga fysioterapeutprogram i Sverige. Totalt deltog 252 personer av uppskattningsvis 1700 studerande. De svarande fick fylla i bakgrundsdata samt för de senaste sju dagarna skatta sin upplevda ländryggssmärta enligt 1–10 på Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) och sin mängd FA på olika intensiteter enligt International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF). Resultat: Prevalensen av ländryggssmärta var 60% och förekomsten var lika mellan könen (män: 58%, kvinnor: 60%). Majoriteten av deltagarnas aktivitetsmängd klassificeras som hög. Resultaten påvisade ingen skillnad i FA mellan grupperna gällande total, mycket ansträngande samt måttligt ansträngande FA.  Konklusion:Inga statistiska skillnader gällande prevalens av ländryggssmärta kunde ses mellan könen. Studien påvisade ingen signifikant skillnad mellan grupperna med respektive utan ländryggsmärta gällande mängd eller intensitet av FA. Vidare forskning behövs på ämnet. / Background:Low back pain (LBP) is a common cause of disability and 60-80% of adults have experienced LBP at some point in their lives. Physical activity (PA) has good evidence to prevent LBP from becoming chronic, reduce pain and increase function. Physical therapy students learn of the importance of PA in both prevention and treatment. But do we live as we learn? Objective:To investigate the prevalence of LBP, average amount of PA and differences regarding the amount and intensity of PA amongst physical therapy students with and without LBP in Sweden. The study has also examined gender differences in the prevalence of LBP. Method:A cross-sectional study with quantitative, comparative and non-experimental design. A web survey was distributed to all physiotherapy programs in Sweden. Out of an estimated 1,700 students, 252 responded. Respondents submitted background information and estimated for the last seven days their LBP from 1-10 according to Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) and their amount of PA at different intensities according to International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF). Results:The prevalence of LBP was 60%. 58% of men and 60% of women estimated LBP in the last seven days. The majority of the participants’ PA was classified as high. The results showed no significant difference in PA between the groups. Conclusion:No statistic differences regarding prevalence of LBP could be seen between the sexes. No significant difference regarding amount or intensity of PA was found between the groups with and without LBP. Further research is needed.

Geriatric board-certified specialists (GCSs) address health care needs of the growing geriatric population. The study's purposes were to: examine career paths of GCSs, identify influencing factors, and explore implications for higher education. Twelve of 14 original 1992 GCSs participated. Data included document collection and interviews. Using a qualitative methodology, commonalities were sought among individuals and HyperRESEARCH software was used for data management. The participants were adventurous, valued education, and were enthusiastic about physical therapy (PT), geriatrics, and specialization. Their career path began with choosing PT as a career, professional education, and their first job. One GCS moved directly into geriatrics. Others went to different settings before geriatrics. As participants recognized they "fit" in geriatrics, they pursued postprofessional education to increase knowledge before choosing board certification. In choosing PT, volunteer experience and personal research were common influences. In choosing to work with elders, influences throughout life gradually built a social context supporting the decision. GCSs chose specialist certification to assist in professionalization of geriatric PT, because they were highly skilled, for career advancement, and for self professionalization. Specialist certification had few financial consequences. Participants gained friends and professional networks. They experienced improved patient care, increased educational opportunities, and/or increased professional service. GCSs' vision was for a better society and health care system. This vision included successful aging - that it is possible and would benefit society. To bring about global change, GCSs perceived they had to influence older individuals, legislators, PT students, peers, and other professionals. Implications for higher education are as follows. Professional schools should not base admission on expressed intentions to work with elders. Curricula and clinical experiences should be such that a nonageist generalist is produced. Higher education's role postprofessionally can be through continuing education, formal degrees, and geriatric residency programs. Gerontology programs also could meet educational needs. Higher education can play an important role in the professionalization of individuals and ultimately the profession itself.

Purpose: This study had three objectives. The first objective was to develop the contents of a continuing professional development module (CPDM) for physical therapists geared toward increasing the use of standardized balance measures examine patients with balance dysfunction. The second objective was to assess the impact of the CPDM by measuring change in the clinicians' choice of measures using a patient case as well as the degree to which they changed their practice. The final purpose was to identify barriers and facilitators of knowledge translation using a CPDM. Subjects: A sample of convenience was used to recruit therapists through two home care agencies. Forty therapists participated in a one-day continuing professional development module (CPDM) regarding the use of standardized balance measures for patients with balance dysfunction. Method: A CPDM was designed based on the literature on adult learning, knowledge translation, and continuing professional development formats. Overlapping themes derived from this literature were combined to develop and present the module. Balance measures chosen for the content of the course were based on the literature and clinical relevance. Several tools were developed and administered to collect data on four levels of evaluation including: 1) participation using return rate of commitment to change forms, 2) satisfaction using a 5-point Likert evaluation form, 3) change in learning using change in pre/post case study scoring and a self assessment tool, and 4) change in performance using a commitment to change form and interview themes. Statistical tests used included descriptive, paired t-tests, and wilcoxon ranked sign test. In addition, semi-structured interviews were utilized. Results: Subjects satisfaction in the module was excellent and there was an 80% return rate of the commitment to change (CTC) forms. Statistically significant change scores were found in pre/post case study testing and self-assessment questions in regards to learning occurring following the module. Commitment to change forms and interview themes supported an actual change in clinicians' performance. Conclusion: Knowledge transfer can occur in a CPDM. The changes appeared to result from utilizing principles including accountability, multiple teaching strategies and facility support. The results of this study support the development of a CPDM to facilitate knowledge transfer in this specific area of physical therapy practice, as well as provide a model for other knowledge translation studies in the profession of physical therapy.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine entry-level characteristics of new Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) graduates from the perspective of physical therapist employers (PTE), academic faculty (PTF), and final affiliation clinical instructors (CI); determine consensus of those characteristics; and determine if new DPT graduates met entry-level expectations in the adult, acute rehabilitation practice setting or where they have fallen short of expectations. Subjects: Participants included 35 CIs, 40 PTEs, and 43 PTFs, recruited from CARF accredited adult, acute rehab facilities (PTEs and CIs) and PT education programs with DPT graduates (PTFs). Method: A 4-round classic Delphi study was conducted with 3 participant panels through SurveyMonkey TM . Participants rated suggested characteristics and definitions for agreement and ranked them for importance on 5-point Likert scales ranging from “strongly disagree ” to “strongly agree ” and “very unimportant ” to “very important ”, respectively. Controlled feedback to participants included median and interquartile range with a summary of rating rationale responses by round. Results: Percent response of Likert scale agreement ratings and importance rankings determined consensus for “strongly agree ” and “very important ”. Overall Delphi study participation was 60.2%. Agreement and importance opinions of 53 participant generated entry-level characteristics and definitions showed a lack of consensus amongst participants. Five characteristics met 80% consensus for importance: safe, ethical, integrity, communication, and recognition of red flags for PT; only safe achieved consensus for agreement. Seventy-nine percent of participants agreed that new DPT graduates are meeting expectations, 15% agreed with concerns and 6% disagreed. Conclusions: Results appear to indicate consensus of select entry-level characteristics and majority agreement that new DPT graduates are meeting expectations albeit with some concerns in the adult, acute rehab practice setting. Agreement ratings and importance rankings appear to indicate divergence in opinions of new graduate characteristics. Recommendations: Further investigation is needed to understand differences in participant group opinions of entry-level expectations and determine consensus in other practice settings.

A good professional-patient relationship is important to clinical practice, which may be compromised by deception. Deception research in physical therapy is scant. The current study investigated how the topic of patient deception is addressed in Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) educational curriculum, explore DPT students’ beliefs about deception and attitudes toward patient deception, and examine the effects of a pedagogical intervention on DPT students’ beliefs about deception and attitudes toward patient deception. The first objective was pursued by a descriptive survey sent to 217 DPT programs in the US. The second and third objectives were achieved by one-group pretest-posttest design provided to 17 DPT students before and after an educational workshop. Most DPT programs minimally include the topic of patient deception within their curriculum. DPT students held several inaccurate beliefs about the indicators of deception and negative attitudes toward patients who lied. After the educational intervention, students’ inaccurate beliefs were corrected and negative attitudes were reduced. Patient deception seems to be an under-addressed topic in current physical therapy education. An education workshop improved students’ beliefs about deception and attitudes toward to patient deception. Implications of deception research and theory in the applied practice of physical therapy are discussed.

Submitted by Ricardo Cedraz Duque Moliterno (ricardo.moliterno@uefs.br) on 2018-01-30T22:40:09Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Disserta??o Word.pdf: 981897 bytes, checksum: 07a62006324eebe45fdf8bbea8797be4 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-01-30T22:40:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Disserta??o Word.pdf: 981897 bytes, checksum: 07a62006324eebe45fdf8bbea8797be4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-03-15 / Objective: To estimate the prevalence and associated factors of the Professional Burn Syndrome in Physical Therapy workers of intensive care in a large city in Bahia. Methods: A cross-sectional epidemiological study was carried out in a population of 59 physiotherapists working in intensive care in a large city in Bahia. A self-administered questionnaire assessed sociodemographic data, job characteristics, and burnout through the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Results: The prevalence of burnout syndrome when the criterion of having a high level in at least one of the three dimensions was 33.9%. There was a statistically significant association between burnout and variables: age, sex, marital status, having children, monthly income, working time, workload (weekly in ICU, night shift in ICU and any activity that generates Income over the week) and if it comes from another job before the shift. Final considerations: There was a high prevalence of burnout syndrome among intensivist physiotherapists. Strategies for health promotion of these workers should be discussed and implemented in hospitals. / Objetivo: Estimar a preval?ncia e os fatores associados da S?ndrome da Estafa Profissional (burnout), em Fisioterapeutas trabalhadores de Terapia Intensiva de uma grande cidade da Bahia. M?todos: Estudo epidemiol?gico de corte transversal, em uma popula??o de 59 fisioterapeutas trabalhadores de Terapia Intensiva de uma grande cidade da Bahia. Um question?rio autoaplic?vel avaliou dados sociodemogr?ficos, caracter?sticas do trabalho e o burnout por meio do Maslach Burnout Inventory. Resultados: A preval?ncia da s?ndrome de burnout quando adotado o crit?rio de ter n?vel alto em pelo menos uma das tr?s dimens?es foi de 33,9%. Observou-se associa??o estatisticamente significante entre o burnout e as vari?veis: idade, sexo, situa??o conjugal, ter filhos, renda mensal, tempo de trabalho, carga hor?ria de trabalho (semanal em UTI, de plant?o noturno em UTI e de toda atividade que gera renda ao longo da semana) e se vem de outro trabalho antes do plant?o. Considera??es finais: Observou-se elevada preval?ncia de s?ndrome de burnout entre os fisioterapeutas intensivistas. Estrat?gias de promo??o ? sa?de desses trabalhadores devem ser discutidas e implementadas nos hospitais.

Darbo tikslas. Įvertinti privačios kineziterapeuto veiklos poreikį ir galimybes Lietuvoje. Uždaviniai: 1. Apžvelgti ir išanalizuoti kineziterapeuto veiklą reglamentuojančią teisinę bazę bei oficialią statistiką apie privačios kineziterapeuto veiklos galimybes Lietuvoje. 2. Nustatyti privačios kineziterapeuto veiklos poreikį bei įvertinti kineziterapeutų požiūrį į tai. 3. Įvertinti pagrindinius privačiai kineziterapeuto veiklai Lietuvoje kliudančius veiksnius. Tyrimo metodika. Atlikta mokslinės literatūros ir dokumentų analizė, anoniminė anketinė apklausa. Respondentai, Lietuvos Sveikatos mokslų universiteto ir Lietuvos Sporto universiteto kineziterapijos bakalauro ir magistratūros studijų studentai. Apklausos metu išdalinta 115 anketų, iš kurių 105 sugrąžintos teisingai užpildytos. Atsako dažnis 91,3 proc. Statistinė analizė atlikta programos SPSS 20.0 paketu. Rezultatai. Kineziterapijos paslaugos priskiriamos prie licencijuojamų asmens sveikatos priežiūros paslaugų, todėl esminė sąlyga verstis privačia kineziterapeuto veikla yra asmens sveikatos priežiūros įstaigos licencija teikti kineziterapijos paslaugas. Kineziterapeuto profesija yra įtraukta į Lietuvos Respublikos reglamentuojamų profesijų sąrašą, tačiau specialistai yra nelicencijuojami, o esminė sąlyga verstis privačia kineziterapeuto veikla yra kineziterapeuto profesinė kvalifikacija. Respondentai 100 proc. pasisako už tai, kad Lietuvoje kineziterapeutams turi būti sudaromos sąlygos užsiimti privačia kineziterapeuto... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The aim of the thesis. To evaluate the demand and opportunities of private physical therapy practice in Lithuania. Objectives: 1. To review and analyse the legal base regulating physical therapy practice and official statistics concerning the opportunities of private physical therapy practice in Lithuania. 2. To assess the demand of a private physical therapy practice and to evaluate the attitude of physical therapists towards this matter. 3. To evaluate the main factors hindering private physical therapy practice in Lithuania. Methods of the research. The analysis of scientific literature and documents and an anonymous questionnaire survey have been carried out. The respondents were the students of Bachelor‘s and Master‘s Physical Therapy studies of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences and Lithuanian Sports University. During the survey 115 questionnaires were handed out, 105 of which were returned correctly filled in. The response rate was 91.3 %. Statistical analysis has been carried out with the program package SPSS 20.0. Results. Physical therapy services are classified as licensed services of personal healthcare therefore an essential condition to practise physical therapy privately is the license of a personal healthcare institution to provide physical therapy services. The profession of a physical therapist is included in the list of professions regulated by the Republic of Lithuania, however, specialists are not licensed whereas an essential condition to... [to full text]

In a research series carried out between 1984 and 1988 in the county of Västerbotten in northern Sweden, various aspects of the professional role and work of physiotherapists were studied. A variety of research methods were used: questionnaires (n = 163), a time budget study (n = 149), and a qualitative interview (n = 24). Physiotherapy was considered varied and creative, but not well defined or very specific in its objectives. Physiotherapy is still a predominantly female profession, though the proportion of male physiotherapists was increasing. The proportion entering full-time employment in physiotherapy increased due both to the greater number of male graduates and the increasing number of women working full-time. A partial internal division of work between the sexes has arisen. More women than men are employed in in-patient care, while proportionately more men worked outside institutions. Most respondents were firmly in control of their treatment methods, but were somewhat restricted in their freedom to decide whom to treat, and when to terminate treatment. Few had carried out any research concerning treatment and results. The time budget study showed that the treatment of patients took up on average 33% of the physiotherapists’ gross working hours and was the largest single task. Continuing education accounted for 5%, development work for 1% and the remaining occupational tasks for 38%. Occupational area was the most important factor in explaining the distribution of working hours, when other factors were kept constant. Neither sex nor gender markedly affects the carrying out of tasks other than treatment. Nor does professional post particularly affect time utilization other than for administrative tasks. This profession has a double objective: care and service more generally and to provide physiotherapy in particular—both equally important. In order to improve the quality of physiotherapy, and at the same time to extend their own specific, theoretical body of knowledge, a number of physiotherapists have reappraised and extended their concept of the profession to include management and research in their everyday work. Conclusion: The fact that occupational area exercises such a profound influence on the work of physiotherapists, taken together with the slight influence that professional post has, reveals that the individual physiotherapist must be prepared to play a broadly defined professional role. There seems to be a wealth of skill and expertise available within the profession, which could, however, be more efficiently used if the management and organization of physiotherapy service were better adapted to serve its objectives, and if these were better delineated and communicated. / digitalisering@umu.se

Orientador: Everardo Duarte Nunes / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-27T03:55:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Oliveira_AnaLuizadeOliveirae_D.pdf: 2702547 bytes, checksum: 0bf25c81d495f78cd8137e819973c1e9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / Resumo: A fisioterapia foi legitimada como profissão no Brasil em 1969, tornando-se uma das 14 profissões regulamentadas no campo da saúde. Moldada pelo modelo biomédico de atenção e pelo discurso do profissionalismo como forma normativa e ideológica de organização do trabalho, a profissão vem traçando seu caminho em busca de uma autonomia profissional que garanta uma identidade profissional ancorada na expertise cientificamente orientada. Neste contexto político, econômico e social, a autorregulação profissional promoveu uma organização interna em duas esferas, a Institucional e a Interacional. A primeira, construída por meio de análise documental das resoluções do COFFITO; a segunda, por meio de estudo transversal com fisioterapeutas no estado de São Paulo, Brasil (n = 2.684). Os achados sugerem que a Fisioterapia Institucional defende uma posição protegida no mercado de trabalho com base nas credenciais qualificadas, treinamento e habilidades especializadas, além do compromisso dos fisioterapeutas em realizar um bom trabalho utilizando elementos instrumentais do discurso do profissionalismo. Esta postura constrói uma representação social tecnicista na profissão. A Fisioterapia Interacional, embora acrescente uma perspectiva moral e mercantilista à representação social tecnicista, segue reafirmando a centralidade da ciência especializada como uma forma de sucesso profissional. O discurso do profissionalismo e do modelo biomédico modela a ação profissional da Fisioterapia ao combinar modos de agir tecnicistas, morais e mercantilistas, o que pode ser visto como impedimento da efetiva autonomia profissional. A construção de uma abordagem dialógica para o surgimento de um novo discurso do profissionalismo na Fisioterapia brasileira pode ser uma possibilidade de ruptura com o modelo biomédico, o que levaria a profissão a compreender o seu papel no campo da saúde a partir de uma perspectiva crítica e reflexiva, como parte da autonomia e da identidade profissional do fisioterapeuta / Abstract: Physiotherapy was legitimised as a profession in Brazil in 1969, becoming one of the 14 currently recognized professions in the healthcare field. Shaped by the biomedical model of care and the discourse of professionalism as the normative and ideological way of work organization, the profession has been building its path looking for professional autonomy to ensure a professional identity based on scientific expertise. In this political, economic and social context, professional self-regulation promoted an internal organization into two spheres, Institutional and Interactional. The first one was built using documentary analysis of Physiotherapy National Council legislation. The second one, was built using a cross-sectional survey with physiotherapists in the state of São Paulo, Brazil (n = 2,684). The findings suggest that the Institutional Physiotherapy advocates a labour protected position based on qualified credentials, specialized training and skill and the physiotherapists¿ commitment to doing good work using instrumental elements of the discourse of professionalism. This approach builds a technical social representation in the profession. The Interactional Physiotherapy, although it adds a moral and mercantilist perspective on the profession¿s social representation, keeps following the specialized science centrality as a form of professional success. The discourse of professionalism and the biomedical model could be shaping the Physiotherapy professional action by the combination of technical, moral and mercantilist as an impediment of a real professional autonomy. Building a dialogical approach to the emergence of a new discourse of professionalism in the Brazilian Physiotherapy may be a possibility of rupture with the biomedical model, which would lead the profession to understand its role in the healthcare and build a critical and reflective perspective as part of a physiotherapist autonomy and professional identity / Doutorado / Ciências Sociais em Saúde / Doutora em Saúde Coletiva