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Scope and Practices of Physical Therapists Working With Children: Results From an International Online Survey
Chantal Camden1, Hilda Mulligan, Boya Nugraha
1School of Rehabilitation (Drs Camden and Cinar and Ms Gauvin), Sherbrooke University, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada; Research Centre of the Sherbrooke University Hospital Centre (Drs Camden and Cinar and Mr Berbari), Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada; School of Physiotherapy (Dr Mulligan), Otago University, Christchurch, New Zealand; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine (Drs Nugraha and Gutenbrunner), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Insights
Physical therapists (PTs) worldwide offer diverse pediatric services, primarily focusing on improving body function for conditions like cerebral palsy. Most PTs work full-time in government settings, with many children accessing services directly.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Physical Therapy
- Global Health Practice
- Rehabilitation Sciences
Background:
- Physical therapists (PTs) play a crucial role in pediatric healthcare globally.
- Understanding the scope of practice for PTs working with children is essential for service standardization and development.
- International variations in pediatric PT practice require comprehensive description.
Purpose of the Study:
- To delineate the global scope of practice for physical therapists (PTs) working with pediatric populations.
- To characterize the work contexts and service delivery models employed by PTs in pediatric care worldwide.
Main Methods:
- An international online survey was distributed to physical therapists (PTs) working with children.
- Participants from diverse countries and work settings completed 42 questions on practice scope and service delivery.
- Descriptive statistics were utilized to analyze the collected data.
Main Results:
- 1133 PTs from 77 countries participated, with most working full-time in government settings.
- Cerebral palsy was the most common condition treated (83.3%).
- Interventions primarily targeted body function improvement (42.0%) through face-to-face individual treatment (96.6%), with direct access reported by 46.7% of PTs.
Conclusions:
- This study presents a comprehensive international overview of pediatric physical therapy practice.
- It highlights the significant diversity in service delivery models and practice contexts for PTs working with children globally.
Purpose:
To describe the scope of practice of physical therapists (PTs) working with children worldwide.
Methods:
PTs working with children in any context and country were invited via social media and email campaigns to complete an online survey containing 42 questions about work context and service delivery. Descriptive statistics were computed.
Results:
Of the 1133 participants from 77 countries, most worked with children full-time (51.8%), and in government-funded work settings (57.5%). Modalities of access to services varied across countries, work settings, and children's conditions, yet 46.7% of PTs reported that most children had direct access to services. PTs provided services to children with a variety of conditions, with cerebral palsy being most reported (83.3%). Interventions focused primarily on improving body function (42.0%) and on providing face-to-face individual treatment (96.6%).
Conclusions:
This study provides an international portrait of pediatric PT practice and illustrates the diversity of services in pediatric PT.
