A Multimodal Approach to Education at a Rural Midwestern Physical Therapy Program, Including Community Partnerships,...

Incorporating various components into education, as part of the physical therapy curriculum, has increased students' confidence levels. Examples include lecture, lab, simulation, and community outreach. Research on simulation is strong; however, there is a lack of evidence on utilizing community outreach in conjunction with the integration of interprofessional educational (IPE) simulations to improve student preparation and confidence levels. This study aimed to evaluate how a multimodal educational approach, including community partnerships, influences doctor of physical therapy (DPT) students' confidence in acute care settings.

Using a descriptive phenomenological study design, seven participants male (n=2) and female (n=5) from a Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) approved DPT program completed a focus group interview, encouraging reflection on self-confidence, experiences, and perceptions before and after their acute care clinical rotation, following their exposure to a multimodal educational approach that included lectures, laboratories, simulations, and community partnerships.

Students reported increased confidence following exposure to a multimodal approach to physical therapy curriculum, which included lecture activities, laboratory activities, community partnerships, and IPE simulation. Three main themes emerged: confidence levels, perception of preparedness, and pre- and post-biases of acute care clinical rotation. All participants reported they would feel confident in accepting a position as an acute care physical therapist.

Multimodal curricula have been shown to increase student confidence, communication skills, and preparedness before clinical rotations, yet there is little evidence to suggest additional benefits from participation in community outreach or the structure of the acute-care curriculum for physical therapy students. This study provides guidance for physical therapy programs and further benefits the future of healthcare by improving the acute care curriculum for physical therapy students.