Balancing the Scales: Factors Shaping Physical Therapy Clinical Education Capacity

Area of Science:

• Physiotherapy Education
• Clinical Education Capacity
• Healthcare Workforce Development

Background:

• The Canadian healthcare system faces a shortage of physiotherapists, intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Increasing the capacity for physiotherapy clinical education (CE) is crucial for addressing this shortage.
• Understanding physiotherapists' perspectives on CE is vital for developing effective strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate physiotherapists' views on factors influencing clinical education capacity in the Greater Toronto Area.
• To identify enablers and barriers to physiotherapy student placements from the perspective of clinicians.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional qualitative descriptive study was employed.
• Focus group methodology was utilized to gather in-depth insights from participants.
• Thematic analysis, following Braun and Clarke's six-step process, was used to analyze the data.

Main Results:

• Five themes emerged: workplace efficiency, workplace factors, university factors, student factors, and clinician factors.
• Positive clinician attitudes toward CE act as motivators for engagement.
• A perceived decrease in work efficiency for clinical instructors was identified as a significant barrier.

Conclusions:

• Addressing the healthcare workforce shortage necessitates increased physiotherapy training.
• Collaborative efforts among stakeholders are essential to enhance CE placement opportunities.
• Further research into factors influencing engagement with clinical education is recommended.