Clinical Guidance of Community Physiotherapists Regarding People with MS: Professional Development and Continuity of Care

Abstract Background and PurposeClinical guidance to community physiotherapists (cPTs) is an integral part of physiotherapy service offered in hospital outpatient (OP) clinics for people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). There is currently a lack of knowledge on the significance of such guidance. The aims of this study were 1) to identify the features that cPTs perceive to be significant in clinical guidance and 2) how this guidance may affect the cPTs' subsequent treatment of PwMS. MethodsA phenomenological–hermeneutical framework was selected, and qualitative research interviews were performed and complemented with non‐participating observations of a strategic sample of nine cPTs who received clinical guidance for their patients. The interviews were recorded and transcribed, and content analysis was conducted by using systematic text condensation, using theories of practice knowledge as analytic perspectives. ResultsThe results indicate that cPTs identify participation in authentic movement analysis of a familiar patient as significant for professional development. Vital features are evaluation of the interplay between body parts, exploration of improvement of movement embedded in the OP clinic physiotherapist's explanations, followed by discussion. These elements provide access to dynamic elements in practice knowledge that are available only through first‐hand experience and promote clinical reasoning through enhanced reflection during action as well as following actio...
Source: Physiotherapy Research International - Category: Physiotherapy Authors: Tags: Research Article Source Type: research