Current Content and Perceptions of Doctor of Physical Therapy Faculty on Concussion-Related Education: A National...

Physical therapists play a critical role in evaluating and managing concussions. Concussion-specific education for physical therapists is needed to improve competency in this field. The purpose of this national survey was to describe exposure, assessment, and appropriateness for entry-level preparation of concussion-related content. This study aimed to (1) describe the depth and breadth of concussion content in the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) curriculum, (2) explore assessment methods to evaluate students' didactic and psychomotor knowledge, and (3) identify barriers to inclusion of concussion content in the DPT curriculum.

The incidence of concussion is on the rise in the United States. Delays in managing concussion may lead to catastrophic outcomes. There is a need for concussion-specific education for physical therapists to improve proficiency in patient management.

Faculty from DPT programs nationwide.

An electronic anonymous survey was developed and disseminated to DPT faculty engaged in orthopedic, neurologic, or pediatric courses nationwide.

A total of 82 responses (20.5% response rate) were obtained. The majority were full-time faculty (N = 71), and 39 respondents held specialization from the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS). Cervical spine joint position error, scapulothoracic tenderness to palpation, the Balance Error Scoring System (N = 21), and Vestibular Ocular Motor Screening (N = 37) were the least assessed. Interventions like cervical spine neuromotor training (N = 31), habituation/adaptation exercises (N = 38), return-to-sport protocols (N = 12), advocacy/policy (N = 9), concussion-specific scope of practice (N = 14), and interdisciplinary roles (N = 13) were least assessed. Finally, 62% believed concussion topics were inadequately represented in the DPT curriculum, identifying limited time (32%), content complexity (29%), and relevance to licensing exams (19%) as barriers.

Currently, there are inconsistencies in the representation of concussion-related content in DPT curricula. Limited consensus on the inclusion of specific aspects of concussion assessment and management warrants further exploration of ways to facilitate integration of this content.