COMPETENCY VALIDATION IN DIGITAL PHYSIOTHERAPY

E. Palacio^1,1, K. Alvis Gomez², N. Molina Achury³, Y. Herazo Beltrán⁴, A. Muñoz⁵, Y. Pinillos¹, O. Hernández Orobio⁶, J. Navarro¹, M.V. Solarte⁷

¹Universidad Simón Bolívar, Atlántico, Barranquilla, Colombia, ²Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Cundinamarca, Bogotá, Colombia, ³Universidad Nacional de Colombia - Asociación Colombiana de Fisioterapia, Cundinamarca, Bogotá, Colombia, ⁴Universidad Simón Bolívar, Atlántico, Bogotá, Colombia, ⁵Universidad de la Sabana, Cundinamarca, Bogotá, Colombia, ⁶Universidad del Valle, Valle, Cali, Colombia, ⁷Universidad Santiago de Cali, Valle, Cali, Colombia

Background: In recent times, rapid technological advances have resulted in the digitalization of activities with which humans engage, causing changes in how humans interact, how services are provided, and how information is accessed. This offers a range of opportunities for social development and transformation. The use of digital tools for physiotherapy as a modality that supplements the provision of a service that is typically provided in person is gaining traction. It also offers new and varied strategies that aim to provide alternative and high-quality services that benefit both users and the professionals who use them. Thus, starting from the training stage of future physiotherapists, the skills that all physiotherapy professionals must develop for the implementation of this modality in the practice of their profession should be validated.

Purpose: To validate digital physiotherapy competencies from physiotherapists’ different fields of action.

Methods: A descriptive and two-stage study was conducted. The Delphi method was used for the first stage, and consensus validation was conducted at the national level for the second stage. The Delphi method is a structured communication process that seeks expert consensus based on an analysis and reflection of a specific problem. The sample included 19 academic program representatives, 7 practicing professionals, and 4 students from each region of Colombia. A matrix was designed with the competencies proposed for digital physiotherapy, which were divided into ]two categories: generic or transversal and specific competencies. The latter was based on five (5) fields of professional performance: clinical, physical activity and sports, work, education, and community. Each category was rated on a scale of 1–5, with 1 being the lowest value and 5 being the highest value.

Results: Transversal competences were developed from seven macro-competences: digital communication/technological literacy, teamwork, administration and management, research, professional reasoning, professionalism and ethics, and public health and social management. Acceptance of the proposed competencies ranged from 92.5% to 98.2%.
The specific competencies were developed according to their field of action: clinical, physical activity and sports, labor, educational, and community. These competencies were also developed from the elements of management of promotion and prevention, examination/evaluation, diagnosis/prognosis, and intervention. Acceptance of the proposed competencies ranged from 84.6% to 98%.

Conclusions: The incorporation of digital physiotherapy as a health care modality has grown in recent years and requires a high level of commitment from practicing professionals and training institutions, which must include the development of necessary skills in their training plans so that future professionals can make the best use of all the benefits that technology now offers. This modality should be used in conjunction with the face-to-face modality because it allows activities to be performed remotely that can contribute to the improvement or optimization of health conditions affecting the movement of the human body.

Implications: It is important for the academy and trade associations to hold continuous education activities that enable practicing professionals to adopt these new modalities in a way that they can provide quality services to populations with limited access.

Funding acknowledgements: Colombian Physiotherapy Association-ASCOFI, Colombian College Of Physiotherapists-COLFI, Colombian
Association Of Physiotherapy Faculties-ASCOFAFI, Colombian Association Of Physiotherapy Students-
ACEFIT) and CLADEFK-Colombia

Keywords:
Digital Physiotherapy
Education
Physiotherapy Educational Programs

Topics:
Education
Education: continuing professional development
Service delivery/emerging roles

Did this work require ethics approval? No

Reason: This work addresses developments in digital practice and not implies experimental or invasive
methods.