Osborn-Jenkins L, Day E, Payne H, White R, Roberts L. Advice-giving skills in pre-registration physiotherapy training.
Physiother Theory Pract 2023:1-15. [PMID:
37668054 DOI:
10.1080/09593985.2023.2247485]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2022] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
With increased emphasis on self-management in healthcare, clinicians need outstanding skills in offering advice and empowering patients to attain an optimal outcome.
OBJECTIVES
This study explores how undergraduate physiotherapists acquire knowledge, skills, and confidence to offer advice to patients in clinical practice.
METHODS
Convenience sampling was used to recruit 50 BSc and MSc pre-registration physiotherapy students across all years of study in one university in southern England, UK. Semi-structured interviews were conducted for first year BSc students (n = 13). Six focus groups of mixed BSc and MSc students were conducted, three groups (n = 15 students) were mid-training, and three groups (n = 22 students) were in their final year.
RESULTS
Thematic analysis identified 6 themes: advice content; a patient-centered approach; delivery; acquisitions; perceptions; and uptake of advice. Students placed high value on advice-giving, drawing upon multiple learning opportunities, however they felt under-prepared to deliver this skill in practice. Furthermore, perceptions of their student status, and pressures to perform on graded placements were reported to influence the advice they offered to patients.
CONCLUSIONS
Developing high-level skills in promoting self-management is essential in physiotherapy, this study highlights the challenges for students to develop these skills. Academic and practice educators must explicitly enable and support students to develop the knowledge and skills to confidently offer high-quality advice to patients.
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