Barriers in Practicing Musculoskeletal Outcome Measurement Tools among Physiotherapists: A Cross Sectional Survey
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Abstract
Background: Assessment tools in clinical practice are important for determining the impact of treatment and evaluating the effectiveness of physical therapy programs. They provide accountability and help set better treatment goals. However, research has shown that there is a lack of use of measurement tools in daily practice, which hinders the implementation of guidelines.
Objectives: To evaluate the barriers in using musculoskeletal outcome measurement tools in clinical practice.
Methods: This study used a cross-sectional survey design and included 196 professional physical therapists. The survey was administered using a questionnaire containing 40 closed-ended questions and was distributed online and via email to physical therapists who work with musculoskeletal patients. Data was analysed using IBM SPSS v22, with quantitative variables reported as mean and standard deviation, and qualitative variables reported as percentages and frequencies.
Results: The study found that 48% of the sample were male and 52% were female. Additionally, 76% of participants were less than 30 years old and 24% were over 30 years old. In terms of education, 12% had a Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy (BSPT) degree, 50% had a Doctor of Physiotherapy (DPT) degree, and 30% had a master’s degree (MS). The data also revealed that 3.3% disagreed, 16.7% neither agreed nor disagreed, 66.7% agreed, and 13.3% completely agreed with the "Agreement Status" variable.
Conclusion: The study found that physical therapists have a positive understanding of the importance of using outcome measures, but there is room for improvement. The main barriers identified were related to the physical therapists themselves, such as lack of competence and difficulty adapting to change, as well as organizational issues such as lack of space and support from management. The study suggests that strategies should be implemented to overcome these barriers.
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