Transformation of Mandatory Physiotherapy Internship into A Structured Competency-Based Program: A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Physiotherapy Training
• Competency-Based Education

Background:

• Health professions education faces challenges in assessing integrated knowledge, skills, and attitudes for independent practice.
• India's Physiotherapy internship program lacks a comprehensive competency-based framework.
• The COVID-19 pandemic heightened concerns about intern preparedness for independent patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a competency framework for physiotherapy interns in India.
• To assess the impact of the framework on interns' self-perceived competency.
• To gather feedback for optimizing the training and assessment process.

Main Methods:

• A single-group interventional study involving 27 physiotherapy interns.
• Development of a competency framework with training and assessment modules.
• Pre-post questionnaire to evaluate self-perceived competency and feedback collection.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant increase in self-perceived competency (pre=84.36, post=98.55, p≤0.000).
• Interns suggested uniform assessment techniques, exposure to complex cases, and early training modules.
• Positive feedback on the developed competency framework.

Conclusions:

• Competency-based education is effective for health professional programs.
• Frameworks standardize learning outcomes, improving education quality and patient care.
• Developing such frameworks fosters self-aware, confident healthcare professionals.