Clinician Perceptions of Important Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities for Entry-Level Vestibular Physical Therapy

No clear consensus exists regarding the expected proficiency of entry-level physical therapists (PTs) when practicing vestibular physical therapy (VPT). The aims of this research were to: 1) ascertain clinicians' and administrators' expectations of entry-level PTs' knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) for practicing VPT, and 2) explore correlations between clinician characteristics and their expectations for VPT KSA and performance level for entry-level PTs.

PTs and PT managers in the United States were invited to complete a survey consisting of 3 parts: 1) clinician/entity demographics, 2) importance of knowledge in foundational sciences, diagnostic groups, examination and intervention skills, and clinical decision-making, and 3) level of expected clinical performance. Rating frequencies and Spearman correlation coefficients between respondent characteristics and survey responses were calculated. Clinical expertise was dichotomized and differences between ratings were compared with the Mann-Whitney U test.

Four hundred fifty-eight respondents completed the survey, prioritizing KSAs of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (70.0%), postconcussion dizziness (45.1%), and vestibular hypofunction (43.4%) as most important. Eighty-three percent of respondents expected competence for VPT at graduation as advanced beginner (26.7%), intermediate (33.6%), or advanced intermediate (22.4%). Relationships between respondent characteristics and survey responses were fair to poor. Experienced clinicians rated item importance higher than novices, but their expected competence levels did not differ.

Differences were found between expert and novice clinicians regarding the importance of VPT KSA, but certain items were deemed important for entry-level practice. The findings lay the groundwork for the development of recommendations for entry-level VPT curriculum.