Essential Competencies for Oncology in Physical Therapist Professional Education Programs: Results of a Mixed Methods...

Area of Science:

• Physical Therapy
• Oncology
• Medical Education

Background:

• The growing population of cancer survivors necessitates specialized physical therapy care.
• Current physical therapist education programs require standardized oncology competencies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish consensus-based competencies for oncology within physical therapist professional education in the United States.
• To define essential knowledge and skills for physical therapists treating cancer patients.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods sequential exploratory design was employed across three phases.
• Focus groups and a modified Delphi study involving physical therapists and students were conducted.
• Consensus on competencies was achieved through an 80% agreement threshold.

Main Results:

• Six domains of practice and 28 competencies were initially developed.
• Twenty-one competencies were accepted across general cancer concepts, musculoskeletal, neurologic, integumentary, cardiovascular/pulmonary, and multiple systems.
• Eleven overarching oncology themes and a body systems approach were recommended for curriculum integration.

Conclusions:

• Integrating these competencies will improve the physical therapy profession's capacity to care for individuals with cancer.
• Academic and clinical educators should adopt these competencies to ensure adequate preparation of physical therapists for oncology care.