Revisiting Spirituality in Physical Therapy Practice: Perceptions of US Practitioners

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Education
• Physical Therapy
• Spirituality in Medicine

Background:

• Limited discussion exists on integrating spirituality into physical therapy (PT) education in the US.
• PT practitioners and students express support for including spiritual domains in PT practice.
• Assessing PTs' perceptions is crucial for understanding the role of spirituality in clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate practicing physical therapists' views on spirituality's role in their clinical practice.
• To explore how personal spirituality, prior education, and perceived usefulness influence PT practice.
• To gather data supporting the inclusion of spirituality in PT curricula.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study surveyed 460 physical therapists from acute/sub-acute rehabilitation settings.
• Participants were randomly selected from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) membership.
• A 57-item Likert-scale survey assessed perceptions of spirituality in PT clinical practice.

Main Results:

• The importance of spirituality in patient care correlated with therapists' belief systems (religious/spiritual > atheist/agnostic/other).
• Positive perceptions of spirituality's usefulness in patient care predicted positive outcomes.
• Prior professional education in spirituality showed a tendency towards agreement, but not all areas were significant.

Conclusions:

• Study findings support the integration of spirituality into physical therapy education.
• Educating PTs on spirituality can advance holistic, patient-centered care.
• Incorporating spirituality enhances physical therapists' cultural competence and patient interactions.