PHYSICAL THERAPY SKILLS IN THE DIFFERENCE OF YEARS OF EXPERIENCE -IN THE CASE OF WEIGHT SHIFTING-

Y. Okayama¹, S. Daikuya²

Background: In the education of a therapeutic exercise for a physical therapist (PT) and PT student, self-experience based on education is often performed. Although the difference between skilled and unskilled PT is thought to be a value point, the definition of skilled and unskilled is not clear. And the difference between skilled and unskilled is often considered with their own professional career year. However, in our previous research tried to visualize PT skills, the muscle activity of PT during basic therapeutic exercise did not changed with the difference of their PT career. And their muscle activities were tended to depend on their instructed experience in their own workplace.

Purpose: To clarify the characteristics of PT skill, during weight-shifting (WS) of one of the basic therapeutic exercise was analyzed, and the difference according to their affiliation.

Methods: Ten healthy PT’s affiliated with two facilities participated. The WS on standing was repeated 3 times to a simulated patient, who was a PT student. Center of pressure (COP) of a simulated patient was recorded from a rest standing to a WS using force plates (AMTI). COP displacement and ground reaction force were recorded during WS. Analysis contents were as follows: average COP displacement and ground reaction force. The ratio of COP displacement was calculated by dividing COP displacement by the stance. The obtained data was compared by a non-paired t-test for statistical examination between expert and non-expert. And, it was also compared by a non-paired t-test for statistical examination between their affiliation. For the data analysis, SPSS software version 24.0 was used. The significance level was determined at 0.05.

Results: There was no significant difference in average COP displacement between expert and non-expert. On the other hand, there was a significant difference between facilities (p < 0.05). As for the ground reaction force, there was not any significant difference between expert and non-expert, but there was a significant difference between facilities (p < 0.05).

Conclusion(s): In this study, COP and ground reaction force of simulated patient were examined in WS, which is one of the basic therapeutic exercise. Similarly, our previous study examined surface electromyography of PT in the basic therapeutic exercise, there was no significant difference in average COP displacement and ground reaction force of simulated patient between expert and non-expert. Based on our previous study, comparing average COP displacement and ground reaction force during WS, there was a significant difference in average COP displacement and ground reaction force with a difference of their affiliation. Because, the PT skills of the subjects differed depend on their instructed experience in their own workplace. As the result, we believe that the length of PT career is not always associated with PT skill.

Implications: Subjects were fully briefed prior to the study and provided informed consent.

Funding, acknowledgements: Not applicable.

Keywords: physical therapy, education, weight shift

Topic: Education

Did this work require ethics approval? Yes

Institution: Osaka University of Human Sciences

Committee: Osaka University of Human Sciences Ethical Committee

Ethics number: 2017-4