Factors affecting curriculum content and the integration of evidence-based practice in entry-level physiotherapy...

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Physiotherapy Curriculum Development
• Evidence-Based Practice Integration

Background:

• Curricular content decisions in health professional programs are influenced by multiple factors.
• Limited understanding exists regarding how lecturers decide on content inclusion/exclusion in entry-level programs.
• Physiotherapy education in Australia and New Zealand serves as a specific context for this study.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore factors influencing curricular content decisions in entry-level Australian and New Zealand physiotherapy programs.
• To investigate the integration of evidence-based practice (EBP) within the teaching and learning framework of these programs.
• To identify the challenges and tensions in balancing practitioner competence with EBP principles in curriculum design.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative study employing semistructured telephone interviews with 13 lecturers from 13 institutions.
• Participants were responsible for teaching core physiotherapy practice, specifically electrophysical agents.
• Thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data from open-ended interview questions.

Main Results:

• Curricular content decisions involved a democratic team process for overall direction, with individual lecturers determining day-to-day content.
• Key influencing factors included current clinical practice, available evidence, and accreditation/registration requirements.
• Four themes emerged regarding EBP integration: resource materials, broad definitions of evidence, specific instructional strategies, and curriculum context.
• Lecturers presented common clinical techniques, often using research methodologies as a backdrop, even with limited supporting evidence.

Conclusions:

• Entry-level physiotherapy curricula face inherent tensions between preparing competent practitioners and adhering to an evidence-based practice (EBP) paradigm.
• Lecturers navigate these tensions by incorporating current clinical practice and accreditation requirements alongside EBP principles.
• The study highlights the need for effective strategies to integrate EBP meaningfully within physiotherapy education, acknowledging current limitations.