IDENTIFICATION OF GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES AND CORE COMPETENCIES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY INDIAN PHYSIOTHERAPIST: A MODIFIED DELPHI SURVEY

G. Baxi¹, T. Palekar¹, S. Saini¹, S. Jadhav²

¹Dr. D. Y. Patil College of Physiotherapy, Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune, India, ²Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Department of Community Medicine, Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune, India

Background: Physiotherapy Undergraduate Curriculum across Universities articulate outcomes (knowledge, skills) expected from graduating physiotherapists. However, there are other generic skills which a physiotherapist should have, like professionalism, communication skills, leadership and a commitment to research and lifelong learning. Acquisition of a range of such generic attributes is a hidden component of the curriculum. Regular coursework ensures explicit teaching of content knowledge and related skills. However, for other generic skills, it is assumed that students will automatically acquire them. These are important for professional practice, but aren't documented in Physiotherapy curriculum across Universities in India. Whether our graduates have really acquired abilities like leadership, professionalism, collaborative working, lifelong learning skills, etc., remains questionable.

Purpose: Along with ‘knowledge and skills’, other competencies need to be identified which are relevant to the local context. This project was undertaken to identify the graduate attributes and competencies required of a graduating physiotherapist at entry into clinical practice in the Indian context, and develop a consensus among experts at National level on the attributes framed.

Methods: A modified Delphi consensus survey was conducted, to harness opinions of a diverse group of experts. Reviewing published guidelines on competencies by Physiotherapy regulatory bodies from USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, an initial list of 42 competencies for physiotherapists classified under 10 categories was collated.Based on feedback received from identified experts (academicians and experienced clinicians), the initial list was revised further to incorporate 46 items. Using a google form, respondents rated all 46 items on a 10-point scale for their suitability for inclusion in entry-to-practice level graduate attributes and competencies. A total of 174 Clinicians and Academicians with more than 5 years’ experience were contacted for round 1 of Delphi. Response rate was 79%. Heterogeneity in geographical distribution, educational qualification, and professional profile of experts was ensured. 20 experts were invited for personal interviews in second round of Delphi.

Results: Exploratory Factor Analysis was performed on the 46 competencies classified under 10 categories. Extraction Method used was Principal Component Analysis, Rotation Method used was Varimax with Kaiser Normalization. Three rounds of Factor Analysis were done for identifying and removing redundant items; rotation converged in seven iterations, the number of items reduced to 36. In the round 2 of Delphi process, experts deliberated on appropriate titles for these seven categories, proposed as the Graduate Attributes. The 36 items grouped under the seven graduate attributes were proposed asCore Competencies.

Conclusions: The identified Graduate Attributes are comparable with the ‘Physiotherapist Education Framework’ provided by World Physiotherapy,though customized in the Indian context. Regulatory Bodies and Universities can structure Physiotherapy curriculum and teaching learning around these Graduate Attributes and Core Competencies.

Implications: A uniform and updated curriculum for Physiotherapy, which is current, relevant and created by a scientific consensus by experts needs to be created. Policy makers can structure the curriculum and teaching-learning process around these Graduate Attributes and Core Competencies. This updated curriculum would be at par with global standards. Other developing countries can adopt this processs to identify competencies relevent to their local context.

Funding acknowledgements: This project was funded by the Society of Indian Physiotherapists.

Keywords:
Graduate Attributes
Competencies
Physiotherapy Curriculum

Topics:
Education
Professional issues
Education: methods of teaching & learning

Did this work require ethics approval? Yes

Institution: Dr. D. Y. Patil College of Physiotherapy, Pune, India

Committee: Institutional Sub-Ethics Committee

Ethics number: DYPCPT/64/2019, dated 30/01/2019