Excelling in the Role of Advocate: A Qualitative Study Exploring Advocacy as an Essential Physiotherapy Competency

Abstract

Purpose: To explore the perspectives of leading advocates regarding the attributes required for excelling in the advocate role as described within the Essential Competency Profile for Physiotherapists in Canada (2009). Methods: We used a descriptive qualitative design involving in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted with leading Canadian advocates within the physiotherapy profession. Transcribed interviews were coded and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The 17 participants identified eight attributes necessary for excelling in the role of advocate: collaboration, communication, scholarly practice, management, professionalism, passion, perseverance, and humility. The first five attributes correspond to roles within the Essential Competency Profile for Physiotherapists in Canada. Participants identified the attributes of collaboration, communication, and scholarly practice as the most important for successful advocacy. Participants also noted that the eight identified attributes must be used together and tailored to meet the needs of the advocacy setting. Conclusions: Identifying these eight attributes is an important first step in understanding how competence in the advocate role can be developed among physiotherapy students and practitioners. Most importantly, this study contributes to the knowledge base that helps physiotherapists to excel in advocating for their clients and the profession.Key Words: competency-based education; patient advocacy; professional competence. RÉ SUMÉObjectif: É tudier les points de vue des principaux dé fenseurs au sujet des qualité s requises pour exceller dans le rô le de dé fenseur dé crit dans le Profil des compé tences essentielles des physiothé rapeutes au Canada (2009). Mé thodes: Nous avons utilisé un contexte qualitatif descriptif comportant des entrevues semi-structuré es dé taillé es ré alisé es auprè s de dé fenseurs canadiens de premier plan de la profession. Nous avons codé les entrevues transcrites et les avons analysé es en appliquant une analyse thé matique. Ré sultats: Les 17 participants ont dé fini huit qualité s né cessaires pour exceller dans le rô le de dé fenseur: collaboration, communication, pratique savante, gestion, professionnalisme, passion, persé vé rance et humilité . Les cinq premiè res qualité s correspondent aux rô les dé crits dans le Profil des compé tences essentielles des physiothé rapeutes au Canada. Les participants ont considé ré la collaboration, la communication et la pratique savante comme les qualité s les plus importantes pour ré ussir comme dé fenseur. Ils ont aussi signalé que les huit qualité s dé finies doivent servir ensemble et ê tre personnalisé es de façon à ré pondre aux besoins du contexte de dé fense. Conclusion: La dé termination de ces huit qualité s constitue une premiè re é tape importante pour comprendre comment les é tudiants en physiothé rapie et les praticiens peuvent devenir dé fenseurs compé tents. Le plus important: cette é tude contribue à la base de savoir qui aide les physiothé rapeutes ...

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