Filipino Physical Therapists’ Social Responsibility Entails Adopting a Societal Practice Framework: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Aim: To define the social responsibility of Filipino physical therapists from a synthesis of Filipino physical therapy leaders' and practitioners' views Methods: Constructivism-based qualitative design was used to inquire into perspectives on the social responsibility of Filipino physical therapists. Sixteen physical therapy leaders and practitioners in the Philippines were invited to share their insights via email. Leaders were invited for their macro perspectives and influence on the profession; practitioners from various practice areas were invited to provide more practical viewpoints. Participants were interviewed one-to-one via an online conferencing platform. Interviews were transcribed, translated to English, and subjected to thematic analysis. Results: Six themes were generated. Participants viewed Filipino physical therapists' social responsibility as a professional duty to be fulfilled with altruistic and social justice motivations. It should be particularly targeted towards responding to pressing health and social issues affecting Filipinos' access to physical therapy and experience of health. Conclusion and Implications: Filipino physical therapists' social responsibility entails engaging in roles aside from clinical practice to contribute to Filipinos' 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 equal access to physical therapy and better experiences of health. This also calls for the scaling-up of the transformative purposes of physical therapy education to prepare future physical therapists for their social responsibilities.