The development of moral judgment and organization of ethical knowledge in final year physical therapy students

Ethics Education in Allied Health: A Systematic Review of Learning Outcomes for Entry-Level Students

“…There were multiple studies conducted in Australia [8,36,37], Canada [13,38,39], and the United States of America (USA) [10,35,40]. Most included studies (n=8/11, 72.7%) evaluated intradisciplinary learning outcomes for students enrolled in physiotherapy [8,[36][37][38], occupational therapy [13,35,40] and dietetics [41] programs. However, it is important to note that three Australian studies sampled the same group of physiotherapy students [8,36,37] and the publications are based on the same educational program.…”

“…Most included studies (n=8/11, 72.7%) evaluated intradisciplinary learning outcomes for students enrolled in physiotherapy [8,[36][37][38], occupational therapy [13,35,40] and dietetics [41] programs. However, it is important to note that three Australian studies sampled the same group of physiotherapy students [8,36,37] and the publications are based on the same educational program. There were three studies which recruited participants from more than one allied health discipline; combining students from physiotherapy with those from occupational therapy [10,39], and pharmacy [42] programs.…”

“…Therefore, education of student health professionals must go beyond exposure to ethical theory, codes and standards [8] to include preparation for ethical tensions that are 'everyday' and which reflect the individual complexities of practice [7]. This preparation includes personal engagement with applying theory in practice [9] opportunities for critical thinking, moral appraisal and prioritisation of different options during decision making [10,11].…”

“…Methods for teaching and learning ethics reported in the literature include modules that focus on deontology and consequentialism in nursing [12], using artistic expression to promote awareness of personal values and beliefs in occupational therapy [13], embedding ethics into interprofessional education [14,15], using vignettes [16] and scenarios with nursing students in online and face-to-face environments [17], as well as using ambiguous cases with ethical dilemmas in physiotherapy [8]. A textual evaluation of course descriptions in occupational therapy and physiotherapy programs in Canada found that programs met the professional standards for expectations of ethics curriculum but did not address the actual learning outcomes for students [18].…”

Ethics teaching in rehabilitation: results of a pan-Canadian workshop with occupational and physical therapy educators

“…Other studies have evaluated or proposed the use of specific teaching methods adapted to the context of rehabilitation. For example, Edwards and colleagues [14] evaluated the change in ethical reasoning of PT students after completing a training program focused on two ethics models (the Four Component Model [15] and the Ethical Reasoning Bridge [16]) that included online activities and in-class workshop group discussions. The Four Component Model, developed by Rest [17] integrates four abilities required for sound ethical reasoning: ethical sensitivity, moral reasoning and judgment, moral motivation and ethical implementation [15].…”