Establishing a Research Agenda for Physiotherapy in Portugal: a Delphi study

Isa Silva, Sara Souto-Miranda, Fernando Ribeiro, Diogo Pires, Maria José Coutinho, Nuno Cordeiro, Eduardo Cruz, Cristina Jácome
Purpose:

This study aimed to identify research priorities and develop a consensus-derived physiotherapy research agenda specifically tailored to the Portuguese context, integrating the perspectives of both physiotherapists and users of physiotherapy services.

Methods:

An online two-round Delphi study was conducted between April and August 2024 with two stakeholder panels: physiotherapists and users of physiotherapy services. Participants rated 66 research priorities in the two rounds, with 13 new priorities introduced in the second round. These priorities were organized into nine research categories identified from a prior scoping review and then rated using a 4-point Likert scale (1 = not important, 4 = very important). Consensus was defined as a cut-off median score of ≥ 3.25.

Results:

A total of 479 physiotherapists and 70 users of physiotherapy services participated in Round 1, with final retention rates of 64% and 43%, respectively. In Round 1, 20 priorities met the established cut-off for both panels, and 10 in Round 2. The final 'Top 10' priorities focus on three research categories: establishing the (cost)effectiveness of different physiotherapy interventions (n = 3); researching optimal service delivery models, structures, and processes (n = 5); and exploring the best models of physiotherapy education, professional development, and quality (n = 2).

Conclusion(s):

This study successfully established a physiotherapy research agenda for Portugal, focusing on the effectiveness of interventions, service delivery optimization, and professional development, integrating the perspectives of physiotherapists and users of physiotherapy services. 

Implications:

The final priorities highlight crucial areas for advancing physiotherapy research and practice and provide a strong foundation for future research and policy development. By identifying priorities collaboratively developed by physiotherapists and users of physiotherapy services, it fosters the creation of more targeted and effective practices, ultimately, contributing to more effective, equitable, and user-centered physiotherapy services across Portugal.

Funding acknowledgements:
This work did not receive any funding.
Keywords:
Delphi method
Physiotherapy
Research priorities
Primary topic:
Research methodology, knowledge translation and implementation science
Second topic:
Professional issues
Did this work require ethics approval?:
Yes
Name the institution and ethics committee that approved your work:
Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto
Provide the ethics approval number:
233/CEFMUP/2024
Has any of this material been/due to be published or presented at another national or international conference prior to the World Physiotherapy Congress 2025?:
No

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