Enhancing positive attitudes towards disability: evaluation of an integrated physiotherapy program

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Rehabilitation Sciences
• Disability Studies

Background:

• Physiotherapy education requires optimizing student attitudes towards disability.
• Understanding and addressing student perceptions of neurological disability is crucial for effective clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of an on-campus integrated curriculum program on second-year physiotherapy students' attitudes towards disability.
• To assess changes in student discomfort levels when interacting with individuals with neurological disabilities.

Main Methods:

• A pre-post study design was employed with second-year physiotherapy students.
• A 12-week program focused on improving attitudes towards acquired and developmental neurological disabilities.
• The Interaction with Disabled Persons scale (Discomfort subscale) and reflective narratives were used for data collection.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant reduction in discomfort scores was observed in second-year students after the 12-week program (p = 0.0016).
• Second-year students' initial discomfort scores were significantly higher than those of fourth-year students (p = 0.040).
• Qualitative data indicated a development of more positive attitudes towards neurological disability.

Conclusions:

• An on-campus integrated curriculum program effectively enhances physiotherapy students' attitudes towards individuals with neurological disabilities.
• The program demonstrates potential for improving the quality of future physiotherapy care by fostering positive disability attitudes.