Genuine physiotherapy research at German university hospitals: an online survey among the heads of physiotherapy departments

Erik Ehlers, Judith Gartmann, Carolin Kraushaar, Annalena Paus, Isabelle Stickdorn, Susanne Klotz, Maria Friderichs-Nedohibchenko, Franziska Feldmann
Purpose:

This study aims to provide an overview of physiotherapeutic research activities and their framework conditions at German university hospitals.

Methods:

An online survey of the physiotherapy directors of all 36 German university hospitals was conducted from November 2023 to December 2023 to collect data on genuine physiotherapy research. For this purpose, a questionnaire was created and piloted in advance with the help of a systematic literature review and a qualitative expert survey. The questionnaire comprises a total of 27 items. The survey was analysed descriptively.

Results:

With a response rate of 58%, it was found that eight of the 21 university hospitals included have been conducting physiotherapy research, in some cases for over a decade. The most frequently cited obstacles to research are a lack of financial resources, a lack of interest and a lack of appreciation from other professions. The most frequent research projects are located in the medical specialities of orthopaedics and trauma surgery, intensive care medicine and the outpatient sector. Clinical research accounts for 58% of research activities. Interprofessional research is more common (72%) than intraprofessional research (28%). In addition to the CRediT roles of resources and investigation, the role of conceptualisation in the research process is also the most common. In the 2-year period, a median of three articles were published with physiotherapist first or last authorship.

Conclusion(s):

The online survey shows that genuine physiotherapy research is underrepresented at German university hospitals. In order to strengthen physiotherapy research, changes in professional and scientific policy and financial support are needed above all.

Implications:

University hospitals play a special role in the German healthcare system in terms of care, teaching, and research. In order to give the profession of physiotherapy, which is still developing in Germany, an important boost, also for evidence-based practice, it would be advisable to expand genuine physiotherapy research at university hospitals.

Funding acknowledgements:
This work was unfunded.
Keywords:
physiotherapy research
online survey
university hospital
Primary topic:
Professional issues
Did this work require ethics approval?:
No
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?:
Yes

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