File
Knox G.1,2, Snodgrass S.1, Southgate E.3, Rivett D.1
1University of Newcastle, School of Health Sciences, Newcastle, Australia, 2Orange Health Service, Physiotherapy Department, Orange, Australia, 3University of Newcastle, School of Education, Newcastle, Australia
Background: Recent studies have revealed that few physiotherapy clinical educators use Clinical Prediction Rules (CPRs), and that very few educators are teaching CPRs to students on clinical placement. Consequently, students are unlikely to be learning about or employing CPRs on clinical placement. Evidence-based CPRs may be potentially useful in aiding clinical decision-making, but if students are to learn and practice using CPRs in the clinical setting, many clinical educators will need to receive training in CPRs. An educational package may help achieve this; however, the elements of an educational package that would best facilitate clinical educators' learning and teaching of CPRs are unknown.
Purpose: To investigate the elements clinical educators consider should be included in a learning package on CPRs designed for them, and their preferences as to how this information should be presented and delivered.
Methods: The study design employs focus groups of clinical educators to explore their preferences for an educational package on CPRs, including content, curriculum and mode of delivery, and barriers (real or perceived) to implementation of CPRs in clinical practice and in teaching in the clinical setting. Purposive sampling was used to recruit clinical educators working in the musculoskeletal field with varying degrees of experience as educators. Both hospital-based and private practitioner educators have been invited to participate, in urban, regional and rural locations, to help capture the differing learning needs and challenges faced in a variety of clinical and geographical settings. Eligibility to participate required some awareness of CPRs and experience in using CPRs in clinical practice. Digitally recorded audio files from focus groups are being transcribed and analysed using thematic networks. Data are to be converted into consistent themes, with themes grouped together based on the research question they address.
Results: Preliminary findings are reported as the study is still underway. The CPRs that educators considered as most important for students to learn are those that are used in identifying red flags such as fractures, infections or other serious pathological conditions. Educators indicated that an educational package should include background information so that they (and therefore the students they teach) could understand the validity and reliability of each CPR, including any limitations, and why CPRs are relevant to contemporary physiotherapy practice. They suggested that delivery of the educational package should accommodate various learning preferences and styles; this may involve online tutorials and webinars, paper-based information and sit-down tutorials.
Conclusion(s): Preliminary findings suggest physiotherapy clinical educators believe that an educational package designed for educators to help them teach CPRs to students would be beneficial. The package might include background information on CPRs, examples of key and red-flag identifying CPRs, and be available in alternative presentation styles and methods of delivery.
Implications: These initial findings highlight some elements that may be desirable to educators in an educational package designed to assist them in teaching CPRs to students. The implementation of such a package may lead to students being exposed to CPRs to a greater degree during their clinical training, thereby helping students better prepare for contemporary practice in an evidence-based environment.
Funding acknowledgements: Nil
Topic: Education: clinical
Ethics approval: Ethics approval was granted by the Human Research Ethics Committee of The University of Newcastle Approval No. H-2016-0110.
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
