Scientific approach and attitudes among clinically working physiotherapists in Sweden -a cross-sectional survey

Frida Eek, Pernilla Åsenlöf, Kjerstin Stigmar
Purpose:

The aim was to examine and compare perspectives on science and perceived inhibiting and facilitating factors for the assimilation and implementation of scientific information among clinically working specialist- and non-specialist physiotherapists in Sweden.

Methods:

We did a cross-sectional survey study via a web-based questionnaire. Clinically active physiotherapists in Sweden were invited to participate. Attitudes and perspectives were compared between physiotherapists with completed or on-going specialist training, and non-specialists.

Results:

In total, 1165 physiotherapists responded to the survey (75.5%, (n = 870) women, mean age 44.8 (SD 12.1), whereof 25.5% (n = 319) with completed or ongoing specialist training). Most participants had a high interest in science but did not consider a scientific approach to be applied within physiotherapy to a high degree. The main perceived inhibiting factor for a clinical practice more based on scientific evidence was lack of time. Specialists had in general higher interest and perceived ability to interpret and evaluate science and prioritized scientific evidence to a higher extent.

Conclusion(s):

Among the respondents, a scientific approach was considered valuable within physiotherapy but not considered fully applied in practice. However, the low response rate to the survey impact how these results can be generalized to Swedish physiotherapists. The comparisons between specialists and non-specialists are likely less affected.

The higher interest and perceived ability to interpret science among specialists indicates that further education and specialist training may increase both interest and understanding of science among physiotherapists.

Implications:

Scientific knowledge should be solidly founded already in undergraduate education and further specialist training can support physiotherapist to consume and interpret science to a higher extent. Since only a minor part of Swedish physiotherapists are specialist, the ambition should be to encourage and support more colleagues to begin a specialist training program. Physiotherapists with specialist training can then serve as facilitators for a scientific approach in clinical practice.

Funding acknowledgements:
Open access funding provided by Lund University. No external funding.
Keywords:
Evidence based practice
Science
Physiotherapy
Primary topic:
Professional issues
Second topic:
Professional issues: business skills, leadership, advocacy and change management
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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