Beling J1, Gould J1, Hubbs K1, Ovsepyan A1, Surak A1, Nguyen C2, Thuy B2
1California State University, Northridge, Department of Physical Therapy, Northridge, California, United States, 2Da Nang University of Medical Technology and Pharmacy, Department of Rehabilitation, Da Nang, Vietnam
Background: An entry-level physical therapy educational program at a university in Vietnam and an American non-governmental organization (NGO) developed a partnership with the intention of enhancing the university's new bachelor's degree program in rehabilitation. The NGO would be responsible in recruiting volunteers to work with local faculty and staff. Volunteers will work with students, staff and faculty to advance their knowledge and skills, including the development and implementation of care plans to meet individual patient needs through critical evaluation and analysis. Volunteers will also work with faculty, staff and students to implement evidence-based research and strategies into their practice. Activities may include lectures, clinical training, didactic instruction, curriculum development, mentoring, workshops, and research advising. It is important for the NGO to emphasize specific program needs rather than providing general physical therapy curriculum reform in order to foster program sustainability.
Purpose: The purpose of the study was to provide information for the Vietnamese university and the American NGO's partnership by identifying the needs of the professional entry-level program through a needs assessment.
Methods: Two hundred twenty-one volunteers participated and were recruited from the university's surrounding community in Vietnam. Subjects were university administrators, faculty, students, professional healthcare workers, patients receiving physical therapy, and community members. The authors developed a nine question open-ended survey that was translated into Vietnamese and related to the university program's needs and program assessment. Two researchers independently assessed open-ended survey comments to identify the frequency of themes that emerged. Data were analyzed using SPSS 24. Frequency counts and percentages were calculated.
Results: The open-ended surveys yielded several common categories including strengths and weaknesses of the program, lecture topics and continuing education needs, the most common health issues treated by physical therapists in Vietnam, and how best the NGO can partner with the program to meet the program's needs. An identified strength from faculty and administrators was the clinical experiences to which the students are exposed and identified weaknesses were that the curriculum had not been revised since first introduced. Sixty-six percent reported that the curriculum did not meet international standards.
Conclusion(s): This study identified relevant performance gaps in the rehabilitation program. Our joint partnership has identified the priorities which are required to upgrade the existing academic and clinical education program, to develop teaching skills and improve the learning environment, and to enhance the students' competence. In the long term, the goal will be that the graduating physical therapists will meet the international benchmark for entry-level programs.
Implications: There is little in the literature about the training of Vietnamese physical therapists. This study attempts to discern the education and training needs of one educational rehabilitation program in Vietnam. Others that wish to partner with educational rehabilitation programs in Vietnam should conduct a needs assessment in advance in order to appropriately address the program's needs.
Keywords: needs assessment, physical therapy education reform, Vietnam
Funding acknowledgements: Grant funding was provided by California State University, Northridge and the Borchard Foundation.
Purpose: The purpose of the study was to provide information for the Vietnamese university and the American NGO's partnership by identifying the needs of the professional entry-level program through a needs assessment.
Methods: Two hundred twenty-one volunteers participated and were recruited from the university's surrounding community in Vietnam. Subjects were university administrators, faculty, students, professional healthcare workers, patients receiving physical therapy, and community members. The authors developed a nine question open-ended survey that was translated into Vietnamese and related to the university program's needs and program assessment. Two researchers independently assessed open-ended survey comments to identify the frequency of themes that emerged. Data were analyzed using SPSS 24. Frequency counts and percentages were calculated.
Results: The open-ended surveys yielded several common categories including strengths and weaknesses of the program, lecture topics and continuing education needs, the most common health issues treated by physical therapists in Vietnam, and how best the NGO can partner with the program to meet the program's needs. An identified strength from faculty and administrators was the clinical experiences to which the students are exposed and identified weaknesses were that the curriculum had not been revised since first introduced. Sixty-six percent reported that the curriculum did not meet international standards.
Conclusion(s): This study identified relevant performance gaps in the rehabilitation program. Our joint partnership has identified the priorities which are required to upgrade the existing academic and clinical education program, to develop teaching skills and improve the learning environment, and to enhance the students' competence. In the long term, the goal will be that the graduating physical therapists will meet the international benchmark for entry-level programs.
Implications: There is little in the literature about the training of Vietnamese physical therapists. This study attempts to discern the education and training needs of one educational rehabilitation program in Vietnam. Others that wish to partner with educational rehabilitation programs in Vietnam should conduct a needs assessment in advance in order to appropriately address the program's needs.
Keywords: needs assessment, physical therapy education reform, Vietnam
Funding acknowledgements: Grant funding was provided by California State University, Northridge and the Borchard Foundation.
Topic: Education
Ethics approval required: No
Institution: California State University, Northridge
Ethics committee: Office of Research and Sponsored Projects
Reason not required: According to 45 CFR 46.101(b).2. This research involving the use of survey or interview procedures is exempt because: a) information obtained is recorded in such a manner that subjects can not be identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects and b) any disclosure of the human subjects' responses outside the research will not reasonably place the subjects at risk of criminal or civil liability or be damaging to the subjects' financial standing, employability or reputation.
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
