Neck pain is a significant contributor to worldwide disability and poses a considerable financial burden to its stakeholders. The prognosis for chronic neck pain is generally poor, and the associated disability seems to be more persistent than low back pain. It has been suggested that the goals of a rehabilitation program are to maximize return to function, limit progression of degenerative changes, and prevent further injury. The variety of treatment options can make it difficult for clinicians to agree on the most effective treatment intervention. This article reviews noninvasive treatment considerations for patients with neck pain. Exercise-based interventions, including aerobic conditioning, stretching, and strengthening, are addressed. Moreover, concepts related to education are covered, including the effects of posture and ergonomic counseling.
Introduction.
Inclusion of preadmission observation hours (ObHr) as one component of the admissions process is commonly required in physical therapy education programs. The purpose of this study was to describe the value and impact of ObHr on 4 key stakeholder groups: doctor of physical therapy students, physical therapy clinicians, directors of clinical education, and admissions committee (AC) members.
Review of Literature.
The number of required and/or recommended ObHr and practice settings varies greatly. No previous study has explored a national dataset of key stakeholders' perspectives on ObHr experiences.
Subjects.
Four key stakeholder groups were targeted in the study (N = 4,471).
Methods.
Four stakeholder surveys were developed and distributed via email using a snowball sampling technique. Responses to the open-ended questions were analyzed using conventional content analysis for creating codes, categories, and themes within and across groups.
Results.
Five main themes emerged: 1) ObHr have value in career decision making; 2) students driven by hours, but all stakeholders value variety; 3) use of ObHr for program admissions decisions varies; 4) as the number of hours and settings increase, so do the challenges for students; and 5) there is interest in developing alternative ObHr experiences.
Discussion and Conclusion.
There was consensus among all stakeholder groups regarding ObHr's value for exploring the profession of physical therapy and helping applicants determine if the profession is a good fit. Respondents highlighted the value of observing in a variety of practice settings. Perspectives differed between AC members and students regarding the impact of ObHr on admissions decision making. Students reported a variety of personal and organizational challenges associated with ObHr completion. Physical therapy programs should reexamine their current ObHr practices and consider alternative methods that support all applicants in their pursuit of a career in physical therapy.
considering virtual methods, and employing distinct transparency on how ObHr are used in the decision-making process are opportunities for further study to address these issues.
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