Revisiting Spirituality in Physical Therapy Practice: Perceptions of US Practitioners

Little discussion of including the spiritual domain in physical therapy (PT) education in the US has occurred despite support from PT practitioners and students. The purpose of this study was to assess the perceptions of practicing physical therapists regarding the role that their own spirituality, prior professional education, and the usefulness of including spirituality in PT practice may play in several aspects of clinical practice. A random sample of 800 physical therapists working in acute/sub-acute rehabilitation settings selected from the APTA membership was surveyed. This cross sectional study achieved a response rate of 57.5% (n = 460). Outcomes consisted of 57 Likert-scale items focused on the role that spirituality might play in PT clinical practice. Internal consistency reliability of these items was excellent (α = .97). The importance of including spirituality in patient care (total score) was significantly related to respondents' self-identified belief system (where religious/spiritual were more positive relative to atheist/agnostic/other) (p < 001/h2 = .178) andperceptions of usefulness of including spirituality in patient care (where positive perceptions related to positive outcomes) (p < .001/d = -1.856). Although those with prior exposure to spirituality through professional education tended to agree more with the outcomes, only three of the five topic areas were statistically significant, but the total score was not significantly related (p = .237/d = -.154). Study results contribute to the existing literature supporting the importance of addressing spirituality in PT education. Educating physical therapists in this area would enhance the profession's goal of providing holistic patient-centered care and improving cultural competence.