THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ASSESSMENT TOOL TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN UNDERGRADUATE PHYSIOTHERAPY CLINICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMME: PART 1

Naidoo V.¹, Stewart A.¹, Maleka D.²

¹University of the Witwatersrand, Physiotherapy, Johannesburg, South Africa, ²University of Limpopo, Health Science Education, Polokwane, South Africa

Background: Clinical education, an underpinning component of a physiotherapy undergraduate degree, allows students to learn in real-life situations. It gives students an opportunity to gain practical clinical experience in a contextual environment. Students develop, apply and integrate practical skills and theory. This process enhances their clinical reasoning skills, develops professional attitudes and behaviours, leading to the development of a competent professional. A clinical education programme needs to be nationally responsive and internationally competitive, adhering to guidelines from regulatory bodies (Health Professions Council and the World Confederation of Physical Therapy). South African physiotherapy academic departments lack these clear clinical education programme guidelines from their Health Professions Council. Furthermore, the clinical education component of a physiotherapy curriculum in South Africa is not evaluated discretely. It is not quantitatively known if the goals/objectives of the clinical programme are achieved, neither are its limitations known. This gap thus led to the development of this study.

Purpose: This study aimed to develop, validate and test the reliability of an assessment tool that objectively evaluates the clinical education component of a physiotherapy curriculum, the first phase of this development is presented in this abstract. The first phase, aimed to determine the items and domains that need to be included in the tool.

Methods: Focus group discussions were held nationally with physiotherapy academics; clinical supervisors/educators; clinical managers and newly qualified physiotherapists. Tesch’s method of data analysis for qualitative data was used to determine emerging themes/domains. Trustworthiness was confirmed through member checks. Triangulation of data was done by conferring with the observer; analysing other physiotherapy department’s curriculum documents and analysing the transcripts of the discussion. Phases two-four includes determining the face, content and construct validity of the tool, and testing its reliability.

Results: Preliminary results of the focus group discussions suggest that the following domains should be included in the tool: key clinical areas (coherent with regulatory bodies, meeting national needs and international criteria); a variety of clinical settings; good quality clinical supervision; essential competency hours; elective and remediation opportunities.

Conclusion(s): These preliminary results suggest that the aforesaid stakeholders are in agreement regarding key components that should be included in the tool. The tool will now be further analysed.

Implications: Improvements required in an undergraduate physiotherapy clinical education programme as well as quality assurance factors should be determined through this tool.

Funding acknowledgements: NRF Thutuka Grant
University of the Witwatersrand FRC Grant
SASP Grant

Topic: Education: methods of teaching & learning

Ethics approval: University of the Witwatersrand Human Research Ethics Committee: Ethics clearance certificate no: M140706

All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.