Professional Physical Therapist Research Articles

Offistretch: camera-based real-time feedback for daily stretching exercises

AbstractIn this paper, we present OffiStretch, a camera-based system for optimal stretching guidance at home or in the workplace. It consists of a vision-based method for real-time assessment of the user’s body pose to provide visual feedback as interactive guidance during stretching exercises. Our method compares the users’ actual pose with a pre-trained target pose to assess the quality of stretching for a number of different exercises. We utilize angular and spatial pose features to perform this comparison for each individual exercise. The result of this pose assessment is presented to the user as real-time visual feedback on an "augmented mirror" display. As our method relies simply on a single RGB camera, it can be easily utilized in everyday training scenarios. We validate our method in a user study, comparing users’ performance and motivation in stretching when receiving audio-visual guidance on a TV screen both with and without our live feedback. While participants performed equally well in both conditions, feedback boosted their motivation to perform the exercises, highlighting its potential for increasing users’ well-being. Moreover, our results suggest that participants preferred stretching exercises with our live feedback over the condition without the feedback. Finally, an expert evaluation with professional physiotherapists reveals that further work must target improvements of the feedback to ensure correct guidance during stretching.

Unlocking the potential of RNN and CNN models for accurate rehabilitation exercise classification on multi-datasets

AbstractPhysical rehabilitation is crucial in healthcare, facilitating recovery from injuries or illnesses and improving overall health. However, a notable global challenge stems from the shortage of professional physiotherapists, particularly acute in some developing countries, where the ratio can be as low as one physiotherapist per 100,000 individuals. To address these challenges and elevate patient care, the field of physical rehabilitation is progressively integrating Computer Vision and Human Activity Recognition (HAR) techniques. Numerous research efforts aim to explore methodologies that assist in rehabilitation exercises and evaluate patient movements, which is crucial as incorrect exercises can potentially worsen conditions. This study investigates applying various deep-learning models for classifying exercises using the benchmark KIMORE and UI-PRMD datasets. Employing Bi-LSTM, LSTM, CNN, and CNN-LSTM, alongside a Random Search for architectural design and Hyper-parameter tuning, our investigation reveals the (CNN) model as the top performer. After applying cross-validation, the technique achieves remarkable mean testing accuracy rates of 93.08% on the KIMORE dataset and 99.7% on the UI-PRMD dataset. This marks a slight improvement of 0.75% and 0.1%, respectively, compared to previous techniques. In addition, expanding beyond exercise classification, this study explores the KIMORE dataset’s utility for disease identification, where the (CNN) model consistently demonstrates an outstanding accuracy of 89.87%, indicating its promising role in both exercises and disease identification within the context of physical rehabilitation.

Detecting Artificial Intelligence-Generated Personal Statements in Professional Physical Therapist Education Program Applications: A Lexical Analysis.

The objective of this study was to compare the lexical sophistication of personal statements submitted by professional physical therapist education program applicants with those generated by OpenAI's Chat Generative Pretrained Transformer (ChatGPT). Personal statements from 152 applicants and 20 generated by ChatGPT were collected, all in response to a standardized prompt. These statements were coded numerically, then analyzed with recurrence quantification analyses (RQAs). RQA indices including recurrence, determinism, max line, mean line, and entropy were compared with t-tests. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to examine discriminative validity of RQA indices to distinguish between ChatGPT and human-generated personal statements. ChatGPT-generated personal statements exhibited higher recurrence, determinism, mean line, and entropy values than did human-generated personal statements. The strongest discriminator was a 13.04% determinism rate, which differentiated ChatGPT from human-generated writing samples with 70% sensitivity and 91.4% specificity (positive likelihood ratio = 8.14). Personal statements with determinism rates exceeding 13% were 8 times more likely to have been ChatGPT than human generated. Although RQA can distinguish artificial intelligence (AI)-generated text from human-generated text, it is not absolute. Thus, AI introduces additional challenges to the authenticity and utility of personal statements. Admissions committees along with organizations providing guidelines in professional physical therapist education program admissions should reevaluate the role of personal statements in applications. As AI-driven chatbots like ChatGPT complicate the evaluation of personal statements, RQA emerges as a potential tool for admissions committees to detect AI-generated statements.

A Machine Learning App for Monitoring Physical Therapy at Home.

Shoulder rehabilitation is a process that requires physical therapy sessions to recover the mobility of the affected limbs. However, these sessions are often limited by the availability and cost of specialized technicians, as well as the patient's travel to the session locations. This paper presents a novel smartphone-based approach using a pose estimation algorithm to evaluate the quality of the movements and provide feedback, allowing patients to perform autonomous recovery sessions. This paper reviews the state of the art in wearable devices and camera-based systems for human body detection and rehabilitation support and describes the system developed, which uses MediaPipe to extract the coordinates of 33 key points on the patient's body and compares them with reference videos made by professional physiotherapists using cosine similarity and dynamic time warping. This paper also presents a clinical study that uses QTM, an optoelectronic system for motion capture, to validate the methods used by the smartphone application. The results show that there are statistically significant differences between the three methods for different exercises, highlighting the importance of selecting an appropriate method for specific exercises. This paper discusses the implications and limitations of the findings and suggests directions for future research.

Work Place Self-Management by Academic Cum Clinical Physiotherapist – A Case Study

One of the main issues in industrialized nations is work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD), which are linked to demanding and repetitive work environments. Repetitive actions and work without leisure can lead to musculoskeletal problems. To prevent this occurrence, promoting healthy lifestyle self-care management is essential. The main objective of this case study was to assess the risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in professional physiotherapist and their workplace self-management. Case Description: a case of a 39-year-old male assistant professor cum clinical practitioner with 12 years of experience in the profession, who engages in using the computer for 6 hours a day for his academic and clinical documentation purposes, was assessed in the workstation. He complains of neck and shoulder pain after engaging in front of the computer for more than one hour, which he manages during the routine practice. He manages his pain by doing simple exercises like chin tuck-in and shoulder bracing by taking a short break every hour while working on a computer. Musculoskeletal-related pain was analyzed using the VAS score (visual analogue scale), and the level of the risks was analyzed using the rapid entire body assessment (REBA) scale. The case study showed that professional physiotherapists have a high risk of MSDs due to their engagement in multiple tasks and less attention to body posture. Regular exercise in the workstation and ergonomic workplace awareness would prevent the occurrence of work-related MSD.

Physiotherapy Methods Applied in the Prevention of Functional Loss Associated with Human T-Lymphotropic Virus 1 Infection: An Overview.

To achieve the objective of this study, we conducted a narrative review on physical therapeutic modalities applied to prevent functional losses associated with human T-lymphotropic virus 1 (HTLV-1) infections to promote health education and viable and accessible alternatives in the development of health education technology adapted to the home environment. This study comprised a qualitative stage of theoretical development to construct a digital booklet with an observational basis based on studies that reiterate themes about educational technologies as tools to conduct a home protocol of guided exercises without the direct supervision of professional physical therapists. Results indicate a lack of research on the development of health education technologies to assist patients with HTLV-1 without tropical spastic paraparesis or HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). We believe that this narrative review can initiate a theoretical framework to conduct a home exercise program aimed at people with HTLV-1 who have subtle symptoms, and also at people without the clinical definition of HAM/TSP, helping to train human resources for care and research on the subject and increase scientific production in physical therapy.

Effects and parameters of community-based exercise on motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease: a meta-analysis

BackgroundCommunity-based exercise is a continuation and complement to inpatient rehabilitation for Parkinson's disease and does not require a professional physical therapist or equipment. The effects, parameters, and forms of each exercise are diverse, and the effect is affected by many factors. A meta-analysis was conducted to determine the effect and the best parameters for improving motor symptoms and to explore the possible factors affecting the effect of community-based exercise. MethodsWe conducted a comprehensive search of six databases: PEDro, PubMed/Medline, CENTRAL, Scopus, Embase, and WOS. Studies that compared community-based exercise with usual care were included. The intervention mainly included dance, Chinese martial arts, Nordic walking, and home-based exercise. The primary outcome measure was the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale part III (UPDRS-III) score. The mean difference (95% CI) was used to calculate the treatment outcomes of continuous outcome variables, and the I2 statistic was used to estimate the heterogeneity of the statistical analysis. We conducted subgroup analysis and meta-regression analysis to determine the optimal parameters and the most important influencing factors of the exercise effect. ResultsTwenty-two studies that enrolled a total of 809 subjects were included in the analysis. Exercise had a positive effect on the UPDRS-III (MD = -5.83; 95% CI, -8.29 to -3.37), Timed Up and Go test (MD = -2.22; 95% CI -3.02 to -1.42), UPDRS ((MD = -7.80; 95% CI -10.98 to -6.42), 6-Minute Walk Test (MD = 68.81; 95% CI, 32.14 to 105.48), and Berg Balance Scale (MD = 4.52; 95% CI, 2.72 to 5.78) scores. However, the heterogeneity of each included study was obvious. Weekly frequency, age, and duration of treatment were all factors that potentially influenced the effect.ConclusionsThis meta-analysis suggests that community-based exercise may benefit motor function in patients with PD. The most commonly used modalities of exercise were tango and tai chi, and the most common prescription was 60 min twice a week. Future studies should consider the influence of age, duration of treatment, and weekly frequency on the effect of exercise.PROSPERO trial registration numberCRD42022327162.

Physical activity, respiratory physiotherapy practices, and nutrition among people with primary ciliary dyskinesia in Switzerland - a cross-sectional survey.

We know little about the level of physical activity, respiratory physiotherapy practices and nutritional status of people with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), although these are important aspects of patients with chronic respiratory disease. We assessed physical activity, respiratory physiotherapy practices and nutritional status among people with primary ciliary dyskinesia in Switzerland, investigated how these vary by age and identified factors associated with regular physical activity. We sent a postal questionnaire survey to people with primary ciliary dyskinesia enrolled in the Swiss PCD registry (CH-PCD), based on the standardised FOLLOW-PCD patient questionnaire. We collected information about physical activity, physiotherapy, respiratory symptoms and nutritional status. We calculated the metabolic equivalent (MET) to better reflect the intensity of the reported physical activities. To assess nutritional status, we extracted information from CH-PCD and calculated participants' body mass index (BMI). Of the 86 questionnaires we sent, 74 (86% response rate) were returned from 24 children and 50 adults. The median age at survey completion was 23 years (IQR [interquartile range] 15-51), and 51% were female. Among all 74 participants, 48 (65%) performed sports regularly. Children were vigorously active (median MET 9.1; IQR 7.9-9.6) and adults were moderately active (median MET 5.5; IQR 4.3-6.9). Fifty-nine participants (80%) reported performing some type of respiratory physiotherapy. However, only 30% of adults saw a professional physiotherapist, compared with 75% of children. Half of the participants had normal BMI; one child (4%) and two adults (4%) were underweight. People who were regularly physically active reported seeing a physiotherapist more often. Our study is the first to provide patient-reported data about physical activity, respiratory physiotherapy and nutrition among people with primary ciliary dyskinesia. Our results highlight that professional respiratory physiotherapy, exercise recommendations and nutritional advice are often not implemented in the care of people with primary ciliary dyskinesia in Switzerland. Multidisciplinary care in specialised centres by teams including physiotherapists and nutrition consultants could improve the quality of life of people with primary ciliary dyskinesia.

Innovation in Pediatric Clinical Education: The Development of a Clinical Instructor Toolkit

Introduction/Literature Review: Clinical education (CE) experiences are essential components of physical therapist assistant (PTA) and professional physical therapist education requiring qualified clinical instructors (CIs). The 2014 CE Summit recognized the need for CI development. The Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy Academic and Clinical Educators special interest group assembled a task force to address the need for pediatric CI resources. The purposes of this study are to describe the process used to create a pediatric CI Toolkit and describe the results of the task force's work as a mechanism to meet the needs of CIs to facilitate clinical teaching. Participants: Pediatric PTAs and physical therapists (PTs) engaged in physical therapy CE were included in the needs assessment survey. The target population of the survey also represented the intended users of the created CI Toolkit. Method: A task force composed of individuals with diverse pediatric subspecialties, geographic regions, and roles in CE convened to create the CI Toolkit. The task force completed a literature search and online CE resources search to assist with survey development and with guidance in the development of the CI Toolkit. A needs assessment survey was created and deployed to gather information from pediatric PTAs and PTs. The task force developed the structure of the CI Toolkit and collected resources to populate the online tool. Results: An online CI Toolkit was created and contained 160 resources organized into topics, settings, and descriptors. Tools include resources for clinical reasoning, student assignments, general resources, weekly objectives, and CI development. A four-person committee was created to review proposed additions to the CI Toolkit. Discussion and Conclusion: The CI Toolkit is a model for accessible CI professional development for clinical teaching and learning. Health professions educators interested in creating resources for clinical educators will benefit from the lessons learned in the creation of the CI Toolkit.

Quality Improvement Content in Physical Therapist Education: A Scoping Review.

The purpose of this study was to systematically review the literature regarding teaching quality improvement (QI) in physical therapist education based on the Institute of Medicine's 6-element definition of QI. Educational activities in QI methods in physical therapist professional education curricula, their developmental stage, and their level of evaluation were described. Keywords related to physical therapist students and QI educational activities were used to search studies indexed in PubMed, CINAHL, and ERIC published from 2004 through November 2020. This search yielded 118 studies. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 13 studies were retained for full-text review, which was conducted independently by 2 reviewers. The University of Toronto framework was used to assess developmental stage, and Kirkpatrick's taxonomy was used to assess the evaluation level of 4 retained studies. The scope of QI educational activities in the 4 retained studies was limited to 3 of the 6 elements of QI: identifying opportunities for improvement, designing and testing interventions, and identifying errors and hazards in care. None of the studies included educational activities to teach understanding and measuring quality of care. Three of the 4 studies spanned the first 2 stages of the University of Toronto framework (exposure and immersion); 1 study was limited to exposure. None of the studies assessed competence in QI methods. Evaluation of QI education was limited to Kirkpatrick levels 1 (reaction) or 2 (learning). None of the studies evaluated activities at level 3 (transfer of new behaviors) or level 4 (results). Education in QI methods in professional physical therapist curricula may be limited in scope due to constraints in physical therapist education and the strategic objective of the profession to differentiate itself from other professions. Entry-level physical therapists might not be educated to fully participate in interprofessional teams that use QI methods to continuously improve the quality of patient-centered care.

Stakeholder Assessment of Student Preparedness and Capability to Apply Anatomical Knowledge in Physical Therapy Practice

Introduction & ObjectiveAnatomy is the foundation of clinical practice and great effort has gone into the examination and optimization of its place in professional programs. A thorough literature review revealed a scarcity of information on how well prepared and capable graduates are to apply anatomic knowledge in a clinical setting. For example, medical educators have reported that only 29% of residency directors felt that residents were adequately prepared in gross anatomy, however, the learner themselves felt prepared. The research objective of this work was to examine ratings of preparedness and capability by stakeholders of a physical therapist education program.Materials & MethodsA web‐based survey was developed and distributed to 409 stakeholders of a professional (entry‐level) physical therapist education program. Stakeholders were either a faculty member, recent graduate, or clinical instructor. Clinical anatomy was presented over 16 weeks in the curriculum (ten weeks in Year 1, six weeks in Year 2) and included whole‐body donor dissection. Sections on the survey included demographic information and four Likert‐scale items that addressed the themes of student preparedness in terms of adequate anatomic knowledge and capability to apply that knowledge in a clinical setting. The Kruskal‐Wallis test (ordinal level data) was selected to analyze differences between stakeholder groups.ResultsThe survey was completed by 165 respondents (40% response rate), which represented various levels of experience and post‐professional education (see Table 1). The median overall rating of the four Likert‐scale items was a 4 out of 5 (“quite prepared” and “quite capable”). Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in ratings between stakeholder groups for three survey items, and no significant difference for one item (see Table 2). Recent graduates most often rated students with 4 or 5 (out of 5) on preparedness in terms of adequate anatomical knowledge (P = 0.0477) and capability to explain complex anatomical details to a lay person (P = 0.0003). Faculty least often rated students with 4 or 5 (out of 5) on capability of explaining patient symptoms using underlying anatomy (P = 0.008). Ratings were equivalent for the survey item assessing capability of describing anatomical structures by location.ConclusionOverall, stakeholders reported that physical therapy graduates were prepared with adequate anatomic knowledge and capable of applying it in a clinical setting. There were group differences in the rating of preparedness and capability. Recent graduates rated their preparedness higher than those with more years of experience in the work force (faculty and clinical instructors).Significance & ImplicationThis work presents evidence that students maintain adequate anatomic knowledge and are capable of applying it in a clinical setting upon graduation from the physical therapist education program in this study. It should be noted that these ratings were not uniform across stakeholder groups. These results are important because they represent the opinion of clinicians practicing in the work force.

Perception of Physiotherapists of Lahore, Pakistan about the effects of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation for Short and Long Term Pain Management

To determine the knowledge about TENS usage among professional physical therapists of Lahore city. Methods: In this study cross sectional survey was conducted in Physiotherapy department of UOL Teaching Hospital, CMH, Ghurki Teaching Hospital and Social Security Hospital, Lahore. The sample size of 117physical therapist participated in this study. Questionnaire was used to determine response of participants. Results: 117 questionnaires were filled by physical therapists, using electrotherapy (TENS) in their setup. Only 81.2% physical therapist found TENS effective as a sole treatment for acute pain, while 36.8% founds it effective as a sole treatment for chronic pain. Physical therapists 70% in Lahore prefer using gels/lotions with TENS about for prolonged relief. Majority of physical therapists (84.6%) were satisfied with the effectiveness of TENS applying with other modalities. Conclusion: TENS is frequently used among Physical Therapist aged more than 26 years. Most of physical therapist found it effective for both short and long term care. Physical therapist were frequently using it for the management of frozen shoulder pain.

Perception of Physiotherapists of Lahore, Pakistan about the effects of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation for Short and Long Term Pain Management

To determine the knowledge about TENS usage among professional physical therapists of Lahore city. Methods: In this study cross sectional survey was conducted in Physiotherapy department of UOL Teaching Hospital, CMH, Ghurki Teaching Hospital and Social Security Hospital, Lahore. The sample size of 117physical therapist participated in this study. Questionnaire was used to determine response of participants. Results: 117 questionnaires were filled by physical therapists, using electrotherapy (TENS) in their setup. Only 81.2% physical therapist found TENS effective as a sole treatment for acute pain, while 36.8% founds it effective as a sole treatment for chronic pain. Physical therapists 70% in Lahore prefer using gels/lotions with TENS about for prolonged relief. Majority of physical therapists (84.6%) were satisfied with the effectiveness of TENS applying with other modalities. Conclusion: TENS is frequently used among Physical Therapist aged more than 26 years. Most of physical therapist found it effective for both short and long term care. Physical therapist were frequently using it for the management of frozen shoulder pain.

Effect of vocal respiratory training on respiratory function and respiratory neural plasticity in patients with cervical spinal cord injury: a randomized controlled trial.

In previous studies, researchers have used singing to treat respiratory function in patients with spinal cord injury. However, few studies have examined the way in which vocal training affects respiratory neural plasticity in patients with spinal cord injury. Vocal respiratory training (VRT) is a type of vocal muscle-related treatment that is often a component of music therapy (MT) and focuses on strengthening respiratory muscles and improving lung function. In this randomized controlled study, we analyzed the therapeutic effects of VRT on respiratory dysfunction at 3 months after cervical spinal cord injury. Of an initial group of 37 patients, 26 completed the music therapy intervention, which comprised five 30-minute sessions per week for 12 weeks. The intervention group (n = 13) received VRT training delivered by professional certified music therapists. The control group (n = 13) received respiratory physical therapy delivered by professional physical therapists. Compared with the control group, we observed a substantial increase in respiratory function in the intervention group after the 12-week intervention. Further, the nerve fiber bundles in the respiratory center in the medulla exhibited a trend towards increased diversification, with an increased number, path length, thickness, and density of nerve fiber bundles. These findings provide strong evidence for the effect of music therapeutic VRT on neural plasticity. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of China Rehabilitation Research Center (approval No. 2020-013-1) on April 1, 2020, and was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (registration No. ChiCTR2000037871) on September 2, 2020.

Functional rehabilitation in intensive care units for post craniotomy patients: study protocol

INTRODUCTION: Craniotomy makes insight and approach towards the brain easier but accompanies ailments. Intensive care units are equipped with trained professional physical therapists working over these deleterious after-effects of this surgical program, but a progressive, defined, and evidence-supported protocol for such patients is lacking. OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility of a Neuro-rehabilitation protocol devised for post-craniotomy patients within their stay in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to improve their functional outcomes and reduce their length of stay (LOS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: It will be a single group pre-test post-test quasi feasibility trial. Fifteen patients undergoing craniotomy will be recruited for the trial and will be rendered with Neuro-rehabilitation protocol for 60 minutes from the first day of surgery up to 15 days of surgery. The primary outcome will be the Early Functional Abilities (EFA) Scale to measure functional outcomes like conscious level, sensorimotor abilities, cognitive-perceptual abilities, and oro-motor abilities of patients, which will be assessed first-day post craniotomy. Secondary outcomes will include Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R), Sensory Modality Assessment Rehabilitation Technique (SMART), Modified Ashworth Scale (mMAS), Montreal Cognitive Assessment Score (MoCA), and Medical Research Council Scale (MRC). Assessments will be taken on the first and fifteenth days post-surgery. PERSPECTIVES: It is expected that this protocol might improve functional outcomes and may reduce the occurrence of comorbidities in patients after Craniotomy in ICUs.

National Study of Excellence in Pediatric Physical Therapy Education: Design, Methods, and Results.

The purposes of this study were to identify and describe the attributes of excellence and innovation in professional pediatric physical therapy education and develop a conceptual framework identifying dimensions of excellence. A multimethod case study design based on a grounded theory framework was used. Data collection included review of artifacts and field interviews (individual and focus group). A constant-comparative method for within case and across case was used for data analysis to verify and revise coding schemes, identify categories and subcategories, revise emerging themes, and develop a conceptual framework. Based on results of a predetermined grading rubric, 6 of 17 self-nominated academic sites were selected representing diverse institution types (public/private, Carnegie classification, size) and geographic locations. Pedagogical approaches and method of content delivery varied among programs; all used the essential core competencies. The core pediatric faculty member(s) were Board Certified Clinical Specialists. A conceptual framework was developed based on 4 key dimensions: Culture of Excellence, Exemplary Pediatric Faculty, Pedagogy, and Child and Family as Teacher (CFT), and 16 related elements. CFT is a unique and nonnegotiable dimension of excellence in pediatric physical therapy education, highlighting the partnership between the learner, child, family, and pediatric faculty member. CFT intersects with the other dimensions and integrates their elements (ie, faculty characteristics, contributions from the child and family, use of instructional strategies) to effectively prepare future pediatric physical therapists. Based on the pervasiveness of this dimension in teaching and learning across all programs, this may be the signature pedagogy of pediatric physical therapy education. Results of this study are important to professional physical therapist education administrators, pediatric academic faculty, and clinical educators because they represent an understanding of the attributes of excellence. The model can serve as a guide for best practice in pediatric physical therapy education.

The Influencing Factors of Gender Differences on Mental Burdens in Young Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapist

Background: Gender differences in personal discrimination experience, burnout, and job stress among physiotherapists and occupational therapists are considered as associated factors of job loss, poor job quality, high turnover, and economic losses due to the outflow of medical personnel. Thus, the purpose of this study is to analyze the level of burnout, personal discrimination experience, and job stress according to gender differences for young physiotherapists and occupational therapists. Furthermore, we used regression analyses to determine the contribution of gender differences in personal discrimination experience and job stress to self-reported burnout, considering gender and two age groups (younger than 30 years old vs. 30 years old and over). Methods: A total of 325 professional physiotherapists and occupational therapists were part of this study (n = 325; male n = 131; female n = 194. Age: 20–29 years old, n = 178; ≥30 years old, n = 147). Data were collected using a questionnaire including our three study variables (scales: the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), a modified version of the gender section of the Medical School Graduation Questionnaire from the Association of American Medical Colleges; and the Korean version of the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ)). Further, data on socio-demographic factors, job-related factors, health-related factors, and subjective job satisfaction were also collected. Results: There were significant positive correlations between job stress and gender differences in personal discrimination experience and job stress and burnout in women 30 years old and over. Personal experience of gender discrimination (β = 0.179, p = 0.015) and job stress (β = 0.162, p = 0.028) explained a significant 42.4% of the variance in burnout in the case of younger female participants (20–29 years old). However, this model did not explain a significant amount of the variance in burnout in the case of younger male participants (R2 = 0.156, p = 0.072). Regarding participants aged 30 years and over, our results showed that only job stress (but no personal experience of gender discrimination) was a relevant predictor for both males (β = 0.471, p < 0.001) and females (β = 0.373, p = 0.001). Conclusion: In this study, female therapists showed higher levels of burnout than male therapists. In particular, personal discrimination experience and job stress significantly contributed to burnout in younger female therapists while job stress was the most relevant predictor variable of burnout for both males (under 30 years old and 30 years old and over) and females in their thirties and beyond. For young female physiotherapists and occupational therapists, safe working environments should be created to reduce work-related mental burdens. It is also necessary to consider policies and regulations that can prevent job stress for therapists and measures that can positively resolve the unavoidable job stress.

Impact of Faculty and Programmatic Resources on the Proportion of Academic Doctoral Degrees in Professional Physical Therapist Education Programs.

The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education has introduced a requirement that 50% of core faculty members in a physical therapist education program should have an academic doctoral degree, which many programs are not currently meeting. Competition between programs for prestige and resources may explain the discrepancy of academic achievement among faculty despite accreditation standards. The purpose of this study was to identify faculty and program characteristics that are predictive of programs having a higher percentage of faculty with academic doctoral degrees. Yearly accreditation data from 231 programs for a 10-year period were used in a fixed-effects panel analysis. For a 1 percentage point increase in the number of core faculty members, a program could expect a decline in academic doctoral degrees by 14% with all other variables held constant. For a 1% increase in either reported total cost or expenses per student, a program could expect a 7% decline in academic doctoral degrees with all other variables held constant. Programs that have been accredited for a longer period of time could expect to have proportionately more faculty members with academic doctoral degrees. Programs may be increasing their core faculty size to allow faculty with academic doctoral degrees to focus on scholarly productivity. The percentage of faculty with academic doctoral degrees declines as programs increase tuition and expenditures, but this may be due to programs' tendency to stratify individuals (including part-time core faculty) into teaching- and research-focused efforts to maximize their research prowess and status. This study illuminates existing relationships between physical therapist faculty staffing, time spent in research versus teaching, and program finances. The results of this study should be used to inform higher education policy initiatives aimed to lower competitive pressures and the costs of professional education.

Outcomes of 2 Multimodal Human Anatomy Courses Among Doctor of Physical Therapy Students (Entry-Level): A Quasi-experimental Study

Introduction. Alternative methods of anatomy instruction have increased in popularity; however, cadaveric dissections were not consistently reported as the most effective teaching tool. Subjects from 2 professional (entry-level) physical therapist education programs who were taught anatomy using multimodal strategies and either cadaveric dissection or prosected cadavers were compared. The purposes of this study were to 1) determine subjects' approach to learning (surface or deep), 2) determine the preferred learning style of the subjects, 3) assess the subjects' retention of anatomy at the completion of an anatomy course and 6 months later, and 4) determine how much time subjects spent in learning activities for each anatomy pedagogy. Methods. Outcome measures consisted of an anatomy quiz, the Revised 2-Factor Study Process Questionnaire, a Learning Perception Inventory, and the Visual, Auditory, Read/Write, Kinesthetic Questionnaire. Data were collected at 3 points during the study: before anatomy class, immediately at the conclusion of the anatomy class, and 6 months after the class had ended. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 and included descriptive statistics, Wilcoxon signed ranks tests, and Mann–Whitney U tests. Results. Subjects in both programs were kinesthetic learners who used a deep learning approach. Subjects were able to retain anatomical knowledge postanatomy and 6 months after the class ended, no matter which learning tools were used. The group who worked with prosected cadavers perceived spending more total time preparing for anatomy class. Discussion and Conclusion. Based on these results, cadaveric prosection was as effective as cadaveric dissection in 2 multimodal anatomy classes for subjects in 2 professional (entry-level) physical therapist education programs.

Inspection of infant motor development: importance of the insertion of a physical therapist in childcare

Abstract Introduction: The Childcare Program aims at the health promotion, prevention and early diagnosis of diseases and recovery from diseases in childhood through programmed monitoring of the child's growth and development. A physical therapist can contribute to the early identification of neuropsychomotor developmental disorders. Objective: To characterize the motor development (DM) of infants during childcare consultations and to discuss the importance of a professional physical therapist in primary health care teams. Methods: The sample comprised 91 infants aged 0-6 months attended in childcare consultations. Infants with musculoskeletal disorders, neuropathology, and those who cried bitterly, thereby preventing the evaluation were excluded. DM was evaluated using the Alberta Infant Motor Scale. Results: Of the infants aged 0-3 months, 11.76% had atypical DM, 23.62% were at risk for motor delay, and 64.07% had typical DM. Among the infants aged 4-6 months (25.3%), less than half of the children (39.13%) had typical DM. Among the infants aged 4-6 months who did not have typical DM, 40% belonged to the group of premature infants. Conclusion: As the child grows, the motor experiences should be more challenging for DM to constantly evolve. The insertion of a physical therapist in childcare, together with the Family Health Strategy team, can expand care and guarantee the assessment, monitoring, and promotion of early stimulation of childhood DM, in addition to the recognition of its importance in primary care.