A collaborative clinical placement model for physiotherapy students results in equivalent (or greater) direct patient care activity than that delivered by physiotherapists alone: an observational study

Abstract

Background: The demand for physiotherapy clinical placements is rising which requires innovative approaches and an understanding of clinical placement models. Objective: To determine physiotherapy student contribution to direct patient care activity during a collaborative clinical placement model. Secondary aims determined the impact of clinical area and clinical educator to student (CE:student) ratio and if a group of students could reach equivalent direct patient care activity of a junior or senior physiotherapist. Method: Physiotherapy student, and junior and senior physiotherapist occasions of service (OOS) were collected from five Queensland Public Health Sector hospital information management systems from four physiotherapy clinical areas (i.e. cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, neurorehabilitation, and orthopedics). Number of days of clinical activity was recorded to provide average OOS/day. Results: Across a 5-week clinical placement a group of physiotherapy students in a collaborative clinical placement model provided on average 10.6 OOS/day (95%CI 10.1–11.2). In three (75%) clinical areas, a group of students participating in higher CE:student ratios produced more OOS/day. Clinical area and CE:student ratio predicted 39% of the variance in student average OOS/day. On average a group of students reached the equivalent direct patient care activity of a junior and senior physiotherapist by week two of a 5-week clinical placement. Conclusion: Physiotherapy students in a collaborative clinical placement model met or exceeded the direct patient care activity of a physiotherapist, irrespective of clinical area and CE:student ratio. © 2021 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Keywords

Author Keywords

Professional education Physiotherapy health service administration quantitative evaluation

Index Keywords

adult clinical competence female human male Humans Article Students Vocational education student education controlled study patient care quantitative analysis public health observational study Orthopedics physiotherapist physiotherapy Physical Therapists Queensland physical therapy student Physical Therapy Modalities information system neurorehabilitation

Author Affiliations

Physiotherapy Department, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia, School of Physiotherapy, Australian Catholic University, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Physiotherapy Department, Townsville University Hospital, Townsville, QLD, Australia

Physiotherapy Department, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia

School of Physiotherapy, Australian Catholic University, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Funding & Acknowledgements

Metro North Hospital and Health Service, MNHHS

Funding text 1: This work was supported by the Directors of Physiotherapy Services Queensland Clinical Education and Training Initiative. We gratefully acknowledge the support provided by Metro South Hospital and Health Service, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Townsville Hospital and Health Service, Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service and the Australian Catholic University in the conduct of this research. We also wish to acknowledge Dr Adam Semciw and members of the Physiotherapy Student Contribution to Physiotherapy Services within Queensland Health Steering Committee.; Funding text 2: We gratefully acknowledge the support provided by Metro South Hospital and Health Service, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Townsville Hospital and Health Service, Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service and the Australian Catholic University in the conduct of this research. We also wish to acknowledge Dr Adam Semciw and members of the Physiotherapy Student Contribution to Physiotherapy Services within Queensland Health Steering Committee.

Australian Catholic University, ACU

Funding text 1: This work was supported by the Directors of Physiotherapy Services Queensland Clinical Education and Training Initiative. We gratefully acknowledge the support provided by Metro South Hospital and Health Service, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Townsville Hospital and Health Service, Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service and the Australian Catholic University in the conduct of this research. We also wish to acknowledge Dr Adam Semciw and members of the Physiotherapy Student Contribution to Physiotherapy Services within Queensland Health Steering Committee.; Funding text 2: We gratefully acknowledge the support provided by Metro South Hospital and Health Service, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Townsville Hospital and Health Service, Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service and the Australian Catholic University in the conduct of this research. We also wish to acknowledge Dr Adam Semciw and members of the Physiotherapy Student Contribution to Physiotherapy Services within Queensland Health Steering Committee.

Townsville Hospital and Health Service, THHS

Funding text 1: This work was supported by the Directors of Physiotherapy Services Queensland Clinical Education and Training Initiative. We gratefully acknowledge the support provided by Metro South Hospital and Health Service, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Townsville Hospital and Health Service, Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service and the Australian Catholic University in the conduct of this research. We also wish to acknowledge Dr Adam Semciw and members of the Physiotherapy Student Contribution to Physiotherapy Services within Queensland Health Steering Committee.; Funding text 2: We gratefully acknowledge the support provided by Metro South Hospital and Health Service, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Townsville Hospital and Health Service, Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service and the Australian Catholic University in the conduct of this research. We also wish to acknowledge Dr Adam Semciw and members of the Physiotherapy Student Contribution to Physiotherapy Services within Queensland Health Steering Committee.

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A collaborative clinical placement model for physiotherapy students results in equivalent (or greater) direct patient care activity than that delivered by physiotherapists alone: an observational study

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