Physical therapy competencies: a market study

As an initial step toward curricula reevaluation and change, this study was designed to develop a list of competencies, applicable for entry-level physical therapists and appropriate to the present-day rehabilitation needs in the province of Québec. A comprehensive set of competence statements or items concerning physical therapy practice was compiled. These were subsequently edited, field tested and, through the mechanism of a questionnaire, sent to practising physical therapists in Québec for verification and rating. The level-of-importance ratings in professional practice of the 224 competence statements or items (which had been grouped into 11 categories encompassing ethics, evaluation, treatment skills, research, professional growth, administrative skills and theoretical knowledge) gave indications as to their applicability in the work market. The ratings of importance of each category were further analyzed in relation to the respondent's years of professional practice, place of training, type of position held, and work setting. Only for the variables years of experience and place of training were there any significant differences in importance ratings. The response ratings given to the competence statements and the categories can result in the determining of possible directions for educational curricula changes that would meet market demands, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels as well as in the area of continuing education programs.