Status: Article under review
Authors: Sophie Buckley, Louise Fazakarley, Mel Hughes
DOI: To be allocated
Date submitted: 27/06/2022
Introduction This paper is the third in a series of research reports (see reports one and two) critically reflecting on the involvement of people with lived experience in a UK based physiotherapy degree programme. The goal of all three papers has been to challenge the lack of empirical evidence base for involvement in physiotherapy education. …
Continue reading “Involving people with lived experience in physiotherapy education – Research report three: Developing equal partnerships”
Read: Involving people with lived experience in physiotherapy education – Research report three: Developing equal partnerships
Status: Article under review
Authors: Tom Easterbrook, Emma Blackman, Katey Collins, Mel Hughes
DOI: To be allocated
Date submitted: 27/06/2022
Introduction This paper is part of a series of research reports critically reflecting on the involvement of people with lived experience in a UK based physiotherapy degree programme (see reports one and three). An initial scoping review of the literature (Jury, Mohan and Hughes 2022) found only two papers (Thomson and Hilton 2011, 2013) exploring …
Continue reading “Involving people with lived experience in physiotherapy education – Research report two: Harnessing the expertise of people with lived experience”
Read: Involving people with lived experience in physiotherapy education – Research report two: Harnessing the expertise of people with lived experience
Status: Article under review
Authors: Rachel Jury, Vikram Mohan, Mel Hughes
DOI: To be allocated
Date submitted: 27/06/2022
Introduction In this series of papers, we present three research reports critically reflecting on the involvement of people with lived experience in a UK based physiotherapy degree programme (see reports two and three). In September 2014, the physiotherapy regulator for England and Wales (Health and Care Professions Council) introduced an education and training standard requiring …
Continue reading “Involving people with lived experience in physiotherapy education – Research report one: Reflecting together to enhance teaching outcomes”
Read: Involving people with lived experience in physiotherapy education – Research report one: Reflecting together to enhance teaching outcomes
Status: Article under review
Authors: Y. Okayama, RPT, PhD, and S. Daikuya, RPT, PhD
DOI: to be allocated
Date submitted: 05/04/2022
In Japan the education of physiotherapy skills for physiotherapists and their students are often performed based on individual therapists’ experience. In addition, in physiotherapy education, it is important to differentiate between experienced and novice, but firstly, it is necessary to define ‘experienced’. The purpose of this study was to clarify physiotherapy skills through the comparison of experience and institutional training by means of a Weight Shifting (WS) practical assessment. Participants of this study were 10 physiotherapists from 2 institutions. The WS was repeated 3 times on a simulated patient. The ground reaction force (GRF) of the simulated patient was recorded during the task. The ratio of the center of pressure (COP) displacement was calculated by dividing COP displacement by the distance between the center of pressure of both feet of the simulated patient to normalize. The obtained data was compared between experienced and novice, and their institutions. The therapists’ years of experience for a novice was categorized as less than 11 (5.5-10.5) years, and for experienced as more than 11 (12.5-27.5) years. There were significant differences between each institution’s ratios for COP displacement as well as the maximum GRF. It was considered that years of therapists’ experience does not necessarily correlate with physiotherapy skill, especially if they have 6 or more years of experience. Greater differences were observed between institutions with regards to the characteristics of physiotherapy skill.
Read: Physiotherapy skills in the difference of years of therapists’ experience and affiliations
Status: Article accepted
Authors: Issakainen M, Mustonen H, Kuisma R
DOI: 10.14426/opj/a20220609
Date submitted: 06/10/2021
Date accepted: 09/06/2022
Background: Physical activity is important for health and well-being for all ages. The recommendation for children and adolescents is at least 60 minutes moderate- to vigorous- intensity physical activity daily and two thirds of Finnish children achieve these recommendations. Schools have an important role in children’s physical activity and physiotherapists as experts in motor development, movement and mobility could contribute largely in this respect to children's health and wellbeing in school healthcare system. This article describes, how school physiotherapy was developed and organized in North Karelia in cooperation with Karelia University of Applied Sciences (Karelia), schools in the Joensuu region and the Siun sote- Joint municipal authority for North Karelia social and health services. Aim: The aim of the pilot project was to promote the health, well-being, and functional capacity of children and adolescent. The purpose of the school physiotherapy pilot was to build a school physiotherapy model for schools in the North Karelia region. Discussion: School physiotherapy pilot was perceived necessary for improving pupils participation on health promoting physical activity. Because of the positive experiences of the pilot project, it is recommended that physiotherapy should be included in the school health services to promote the health and well-being of school aged children and adolescents.
Read: Physiotherapy students promoting health and well-being of school-aged children and adolescents in North Karelia, Finland
Status: Article accepted
Authors: John JN, Asogwa JA, Okezue OC, John DO, Mgbeojedo UG, Ezeukwu AO
DOI: 10.14426/opj/a20220428
Date submitted: 05/07/2021
Date accepted: 28/04/2022
Background: Feedback from students regarding their clinical learning environment and clinicians teaching attributes should be evaluated regularly to monitor students' learning experiences which can affect learning outcomes, the readiness for professional practice, and the level of satisfaction with the profession. Differences may exist in this feedback from students based on their institution, level of study, and characteristics of the clinicians. Aim: To evaluate physiotherapy students’ perception of their clinical learning environment and clinicians’ teaching attributes. Methods: This cross-sectional study utilised 258 participants from two academic institutions, which offer physiotherapy training in southeast Nigeria. A self-structured questionnaire, the McGill Clinical Teacher Evaluation tool (MCGill CTE) and the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) were used to collect the data. Descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation were used to present the mean scores obtained on the DREEM questionnaire and McGill CTE tool. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to determine the difference in the students’ perception of their clinical learning environment and clinicians' teaching attributes based on their institution of learning and level of study. In addition, the Mann-Whitney U test also determined the difference in the students' perception of their clinicians teaching attributes based on the clinicians' gender, while the Kruskal Wallis test determined the difference in the students' perception of their clinician's teaching attributes based on their last clinical posting unit and the highest educational level of the clinicians. Results: The students perceived their learning environment to be “more positive than negative”. The highest-rated domain in the DREEM questionnaire was "perception of learning", while the lowest was "social perception". The highest-rated attribute for clinicians in the McGill CTE tool was "clinical interest in helping students to learn", while the lowest was "emphasises concept rather than factual recall". A significant difference was observed in the students rating of their clinical learning environment based on their institution and level of study. Conclusion: There is a need for regular evaluation of students' perception of their clinicians’ teaching attributes and the clinical learning environment to ensure the desired learning outcomes are attained and that students are ready for professional practice after training.
Read: Physiotherapy students’ perception of their clinical learning environment and clinician teaching attributes in Nigeria
Status: Article accepted
Authors: Forbes R, Toloui-Wallace J
DOI: 10.14426/opj/a20220202
Date submitted: 25/02/2021
Date accepted: 02/02/2022
Background: Diagnostic uncertainty in musculoskeletal pain presents as a frequent and challenging dilemma encountered by physiotherapists. Current literature indicates that diagnostic uncertainty impacts the clinical decision making of experienced and new graduate physiotherapists, highlighting a need for training and support in this space. Aim: This paper outlines considerations for diagnostic uncertainty in the management of musculoskeletal pain. It outlines five key strategies to help student and novice physiotherapists experiencing and navigating diagnostic uncertainty when managing individuals with musculoskeletal pain. These strategies include looking critically at diagnostic certainty; recognising and normalising uncertainty; utilising direct practice and authentic experiences, and Balint groups as a strategy for sharing. Conclusion: New graduate physiotherapists frequently experience diagnostic uncertainty in the management of musculoskeletal pain. There is a need to focus on acknowledging and managing diagnostic uncertainty in physiotherapy education and workplace support to address the ethical and emotional reactions associated with uncertainty. Physiotherapy educators and professionals can lead by example, acknowledging and sharing uncertainty and exploring this with students.
Read: Diagnostic uncertainty in musculoskeletal pain: Implications for physiotherapy education
Status: Article under review
Authors: SD Perumal
DOI: To be allocated
Date submitted: 12/11/2020
In modern education, flipped-blended learning has gained popularity around the globe. However, pedagogical inquiry of what we teach, where we teach, how and how much we blend in face to face (F2F) and online teaching is focused on the account of instructors (lecturer) designing new models of flipped-blended learning at undergraduate physiotherapy courses. This article describes a case report that illustrates why TBL and how hybrid TBL can be used to help undergraduate physiotherapy students (year 2) to understand and improve their ‘4Cs’ - Critical thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity in a cardio-respiratory disease management topic. This case report intends to answer one big question “Is H-TBL a way forward for 21st-century learning?”
Read: A way forward: Teaching lens for embedding 4C’s in 21st century learning for future Physiotherapy Graduates Education
Status: Article accepted
Authors: Kim Buchholtz, Roberto Meroni, Bettina Karsten, Fraser Carson
DOI: 10.14426/opj/a20201117
Date submitted: 29/07/2020
Date accepted: 17/11/2020
In this report we reflect on the decision-making process and actions taken by a young higher education institution to the COVID-19 pandemic to continue teaching both undergraduate and postgraduate physiotherapy degree programmes. LUNEX University is unique in that it is the only higher education institute in Luxembourg to provide education in physiotherapy. The response to the global pandemic is further complicated as the majority of students commute across international borders to attend campus. We have focused on three distinct challenges LUNEX staff faced to ensure continued and quality teaching was provided: 1) Response to the country-wide and global shutdown; 2) Return to campus; and 3) Provision of clinical placements. We describe the decisions and actions to rapidly move to a blended learning format, and the strategic approach to incorporating simulated practice after restrictions were eased and a return to campus was possible. Initial observation suggests improvement in student competency in practical skills as a result of the blended learning approach. Recommendations are provided to encourage the integration of blended learning for practical and clinical degree programmes, like physiotherapy, where an emphasis is placed on simulated practice in classroom settings, underpinned by prior theoretical knowledge delivered online.
Read: Responding to COVID-19: LUNEX University’s decisions and actions to continue physiotherapy education
Status: Article accepted
Authors: Joost van Wijchen, Roger Kerry, Maria Nordheim Alme
DOI: 10.14426/art/1552
Date submitted: 19/07/2020
Date accepted: 12/01/2021
The Covid-19 pandemic presented challenges for students and teachers to engage and create good learning environments. In this situation, new opportunities for learners and teachers to engage and learn have evolved. Historically, communities of practices have been developed and used to help solve complex and dynamic challenges in society. The idea is that people get an opportunity to work together to solve a specific challenge or task. Here we present a pedagogical community of practice (CoP), QuaranTrain, where students from different countries have developed a platform for co-creation and sharing material and strategies for better health during a period with social distancing. This student-led and self-organised CoP have created a framework for learning that our health care educations can be inspired by and use in their programs. We conclude that out of this challenging situation, new and creative ways of learning emerged, which can enrich and develop health care education.
Read: QuaranTrain: An international community of practice for learning