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Physiotherapy is a massively growing field with much research arising that it is a crucial part to the medical industry when considering rehabilitation for mobility restricted patients. Physiotherapy has experienced many changes since its early findings back in the 1800’s (Kumar, 2010, pg.58). The care models by which physiotherapy has developed have been refined to three main goals in modern medicine. Evidence based practice, choosing the continuation of education, and adopting improvement strategies for clinical settings. As physiotherapy progresses into future generations, focusing towards pushing these foundations is crucial to ensuring patient care remains of a high standard.

 

As physiotherapy has progressed from the 1800’s it would be obvious that new research and methods of practice are found and integrated into modern practice. This practice of integration is referred to as evidence based practice. This term encompasses the idea that practitioners must use, “the best evidence available”, to diffuse a treatment plan for a patient in need of physical therapy (O’Brien, 2010, pg.189). This idea of evidence based practice seems straightforward by fact but it is a proving issue in modern practice as many clinicians make a mistake of prescribing treatment, “based upon experience alone, [and] information learned years ago”, which is a key reason why future physiotherapy practitioner must adopt a paradigm shift towards incorporating new evidence based methods into their formal practice (O’Brien, 2010, pg.189).

 

Continuing education is a large part of a physiotherapist's lifelong career, they must keep learning and growing professionally. Through workshops, courses, and ongoing training, they can broaden their knowledge and sharpen their clinical skills. This shift towards improving patient care can be as simple as a physiotherapist who, “may keep a small notebook”, or even, “reveiw[ing] the questions and identifying questions”, with patients to then present a care plan that encompasses the idea of continued education and evidence based practice (O’Brien, 2010, pg.195) . But not all educational opportunities are equally valuable. Physiotherapists need to carefully assess the credibility and relevance of the resources available to them. By opting for evidence-based programs and integrating new insights into their practice, they can improve the quality of care they provide and continue to develop as professionals. Ultimately, a mindful approach to the paradigm shift that physiotherapy is experiencing will be beneficial when teaching a new generation of medical students.

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Practicing improvement strategies offers valuable the ability for behavior change that enhances physiotherapy practice. Educational outreach, interactive workshops, and social marketing campaigns are among the innovative approaches that have been shown to facilitate practice change and improve patient care. The power of peer influence, leveraging social networks, and addressing organizational barriers, physiotherapists can implement evidence-based interventions more effectively. Furthermore, by adopting a multinational approach to practice improvement, incorporating feedback mechanisms, and fostering a multifaceted culture of continuous quality improvement, physiotherapy clinics can enhance their capacity to deliver patient-centered care and achieve better standards of care. O’Brien makes a point of referencing a possible way physiotherapist can connect with patients more interpersonally to not only create bonds that develop trust in the care they receive but to allow for a dynamic feedback loop that not only will act to enhance the care of the patient but further progress the physiotherapist long term care availability (O’Brien, 2010, pg.195). This all revolves back to the idea of continuing education by learning not only the technical outlooks of physiotherapy but the interpersonal relations that surround the healthcare system. A limiting factor for such strategies of improvement can be summed by lack of research that restricts any advancement in interpersonal and physiological aptitudes. Physiotherapy has transcended through positivism which is observation that can be confirmed by viewership, hermeneutics which involves progression of understanding, and lastly pragmatism, or viewable action that confirms such observations and understanding (Kumar, 2010, pg.63). This evolution of research allows for professional autonomy which depends on professionals having the ability to develop proactive changes to advancing performance for the betterment of patients alike. Furthermore, these practices allow for adherence to the quality control that seeks the “best interests of customers, clients and patients”, while allowing for improvement of educators and practitioners (Kumar, 2010, pg.64)

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In concluding remarks, physiotherapy extends into a multifaceted field of advancing study, practicing up to date treatment methods, and teaching integration of such fields. These vast parts in the career of physiotherapy work with one another to create a benchmark for the quality of care that can be given to patients. As these methods of treatment progress, the total care quality can only increase which in turn will allow for further development. The creation of further integration and physiotherapy advancements will be necessary to remain on par with the current pace of physiotherapy advancement.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

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Jordan, J. L., Holden, M. A., Mason, E. EJ., Foster, N. E. (2010). Interventions to improve adherence to exercise for chronic musculoskeletal pain in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 1. https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD005956.pub2/full

 

Joyce, C., Schneider, M., Stevans, J. M.,  Beneciuk, J. M. (2018). Improving physical therapy pain care, quality, and cost through effectiveness-implementation research. OUP Academic. https://academic.oup.com/ptj/article/98/5/447/4925495 

 

Kumar, S. P. (2010). Evolution of Physiotherapy: A Historical Review. Journal of Physical Therapy,1,58-67.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/45266664_Physical_Therapy_past_present_and_future-_a_paradigm_shift?enrichId=rgreq-13942f8740d4c51d16362414cd09e7f6-XXX&enrichSource=Y292ZXJQYWdlOzQ1MjY2NjY0O0FTOjEwMzUxMjUyODY1NDM0OUAxNDAxNjkwNzE4ODg3&el=1_x_2&_esc=publicationCoverPdf

 

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O'Brien, M. A. (2001). Keeping up-to-date: continuing education, practice improvement strategies, and evidence-based physiotherapy practice, Physiotherapy Theory and Practice, 17:3, 187-199. DOI: 10.1080/095939801317077641

 

Olsen, N. R., Bradley, P., Lomborg, K., & Nortvedt, M. W. (2013). Evidence based practice in Clinical Physiotherapy Education: A qualitative interpretive description - BMC Medical Education. BioMed Central.

https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1472-6920-13-52 

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Reinold, M. [Mike Rienold]. (2010, Jun 29). What is Evidence Based Practice?. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XWOx1HqbWk

 

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