Physiotherapist's musculoskeletal imaging profiling questionnaire: Development, validation and pilot testing

Area of Science:

• Physiotherapy
• Medical Imaging
• Health Professions Education

Background:

• Musculoskeletal imaging adoption is increasing in physiotherapy practice globally.
• Educational programs aim to address training gaps in this area.
• There is a need for standardized assessment tools for physiotherapists' imaging skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an instrument to assess physiotherapists' training, attitude, competence, and utilization of musculoskeletal imaging.
• The instrument aims to provide a comprehensive profile of physiotherapists in this domain.

Main Methods:

• An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was employed.
• International literature review and focus group discussions informed the development of the Physiotherapist's Musculoskeletal Imaging Profile Questionnaire (PMIPQ).
• The PMIPQ underwent rigorous validation, including face, content, criterion validity, and pilot testing, with data analyzed using SPSS.

Main Results:

• The developed PMIPQ demonstrated good psychometric properties, including validity and internal consistency.
• High test-retest reliability was observed across key domains: Level of Training (0.973), Attitude (0.979), Utilisation (0.842), and Competence (0.716).

Conclusions:

• The Physiotherapist's Musculoskeletal Imaging Profile Questionnaire (PMIPQ) is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing physiotherapists' musculoskeletal imaging profiles.
• The PMIPQ is suitable for use in Nigeria and other countries with similar physiotherapy training and practice scopes.
• Musculoskeletal imaging serves as a valuable adjunct in physiotherapy clinical practice.