Canadian Physiotherapists' Perspectives About Core Professional Values and Associated Behaviours: A Qualitative...

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Professional Ethics
• Physiotherapy Practice

Background:

• Core professional values (CPVs) shape healthcare professionals' conduct and decisions.
• Limited research exists on Canadian physiotherapists' perspectives regarding CPVs.
• This study addresses the gap by exploring Canadian physiotherapists' views on CPVs and associated behaviours (ABs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate Canadian physiotherapists' perspectives on core professional values (CPVs).
• To explore the associated behaviours (ABs) linked to these values.
• To inform the development of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association's (CPA) CPVs and ABs document.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative descriptive approach was employed.
• Data were collected via three rounds of e-Delphi surveys from diverse CPA members.
• Descriptive content analysis was performed by paired researchers on narrative text data.

Main Results:

• Physiotherapists' views on CPVs ranged from full agreement to disagreement.
• Accountability, integrity, and respect received the most positive perceptions.
• Altruism, equity, and social accountability presented the most divergent and contentious perspectives, with wavering views on advocacy, client-centredness, compassion, and excellence.

Conclusions:

• There is a spectrum of opinions among Canadian physiotherapists regarding CPVs.
• Understanding this variability is crucial for the integration of CPVs into physiotherapy practice.
• Further research using varied theoretical frameworks is recommended to deepen insights into the role of CPVs in Canadian physiotherapy.