Dpt Students Perception of the Value of a Spanish Elective Class in the Curriculum
Purpose/Hypothesis:
The Hispanic population in this country is expected to increase 119 million from 2014 to 2060, an increase of 115 percent. By 2060, 29% of the US population will identify as Hispanic. Students struggle in learning basic clinical skills when they do not speak the same language as their patients. A 1 credit, 12 hour “Spanish for Physical Therapists” elective was developed to supplement the DPT curriculum. The class progresses from basic language skills to performing an evaluation and treatment sessions in Spanish. Students practice these skills with Spanish speaking actors, and attend a pro-bono clinic, where most of the patients are Spanish speaking, in order to practice in a clinical setting. The purpose of this study is to describe the outcomes of this elective course
Number of Subjects: 48
Materials and Methods:
DPT graduates were given a survey about their experience in the clinic when working with Spanish speaking patients, whether they took the elective or not. The survey addressed perceived level of competence in reading, writing and speaking Spanish. For those who took the elective, they identified perceived level of competence after the class and after completing their clinical experiences, and reported how the elective assisted them in activities such as evaluation, treatment, and patient education. Those that did not take the elective were asked about their effectiveness when communicating with Spanish-speaking patients during those same activities
Results:
Of 48 graduates completing the survey, 56% took the Spanish elective (n=27). High proportions of these 27 students reported their level as “novice” or “unable” for writing (63%), speaking (62%) or reading (56%) in Spanish, and these proportions were not different in those who did not take the elective. 37% of the students moved up a level in their written proficiency, 34% moved up a level in their spoken proficiency, and 33% in their writing proficiency (i.e. moved from unable to novice or from novice to intermediate.) High proportions of graduates agreed or strongly agreed that the elective improved their confidence (85%), assisted in communication (89%), helped during patient evaluation (89%), helped in educating patients about the condition and treatment plan (85%), and their home exercise program (82%), communicating with family members (74%), and improved their cultural sensitivity (70%). A higher proportion of students who did not take the elective reported needing a lot of assistance to communicate with Spanish speaking patients in comparison with students who took the elective (35% vs 15% respectively)
Conclusions:
The course facilitated improvement in self-reported proficiency and confidence in PT students. Students who took the elective were less likely to need a lot of assistance when communicating with Spanish-speaking patients and family during their clinical experiences
Clinical Relevance:
A Spanish elective class is an effective way to improve communication skills and cultural competence for physical therapy students prior to their clinical experience. Increasing the ability to communicate with Spanish speaking patients will assist with their effectiveness as clinicians