Physical therapy continuing education part I: Perceived barriers and preferences

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to gather information as a first step toward developing programs in continuing education for physical therapists in Georgia. The instrument used to collect data was a questionnaire mailed to a random sample of licensed physical therapists residing in the state.Physical therapists preferred lecture and seminarlworkshops as the instructional delivery system for continuing education, and they had a strong educational need in the area of orthopedic physical therapy. They preferred to have continuing education activities held at hotellconvention centers, at locations around the state, during the morning hours in the autumn and winter.Signifrcant barriers to attendance at continuing education programs included the cost of the program, a traveling distance of over 150 miles, loss of time with family, previous experience with programs, lack of information about available courses, and lack of pertinent programs.The continuing education preferences and barriers described in this paper can be used as a basis for implementing changes in current pruc-tic'es.

Continuing Education for Advanced Manual and Manipulative Physiotherapists in Canada: A Survey of Perceived Needs

“…The questions were developed on the basis of previous research on perceived CE needs as well as other studies conducted using the same online questionnaire format. 13,14,16,24,25 Response options for items relating to awareness and current use of CE (section B) were ''yes,'' ''no,'' and ''unsure.'' For most of the remaining items, respondents indicated their level of agreement with a statement on a five-point Likert scale (in sections C and E, 1 ¼ strongly disagree, 5 ¼ strongly agree; in section D, 1 ¼ not at all likely, 5 ¼ very likely).…”

“…5 Specifically, our questionnaire clearly stated that the definition of CE in this study is any means of acquiring knowledge and skills beyond completion of the advanced manual and manipulative therapy diploma through formal or informal settings. Moreover, recent research findings have suggested that HCP learners' preferences may be shifting away from conventional didactic learning, 13,18 contrary to a 1992 study 13 that reported lectures as the most preferred CE format. In a recent study of Australian pharmacists, interactive sessions were favoured over didactic sessions, because the former were viewed as more interesting and con-structive.…”

“…Several authors have reported location, cost, timing, and prior commitments to be barriers to CE participation among physiotherapists 5,8,13,15 and enhanced clinical skills, fulfillment of personal goals, professional advancement, and increased job satisfaction as facilitators. 8 Other perceived needs that have been investigated to date relate to preferences, including particular topics of interest and modes of delivery.…”

“…8 Other perceived needs that have been investigated to date relate to preferences, including particular topics of interest and modes of delivery. 5,8,13,15 At present, the literature is inconsistent with respect to the preferred modes of CE delivery for physiotherapists. Although some have reported lectures 13 and faceto-face learning 16 as the most preferred CE format, others have found that physiotherapists prefer interactive workshops 5 and computer-based home study.…”

“…5,8,13,15 At present, the literature is inconsistent with respect to the preferred modes of CE delivery for physiotherapists. Although some have reported lectures 13 and faceto-face learning 16 as the most preferred CE format, others have found that physiotherapists prefer interactive workshops 5 and computer-based home study. 17 It is important to note that these conflicting results arose from research studies that investigated CE preferences of different subgroups of the general physiotherapist population, which suggests that preferences may be specific to the clinical context or area of practice.…”