Educating Referral Sources: Podiatrist Awareness and Perceptions of Physical Therapy
Purpose:
While it is not unfair to say that physical therapy is a profession that is still not fully understood; there are efforts to combat this. In healthcare there is increase discussion on interprofessional education (IPE). IPE is meant to not only increase knowledge and understanding of the roles and responsibilities of other healthcare professionals but to also recognize the interconnectedness and impact other professions have on your profession. In physical therapy, IPE is often utilized with occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, and nursing. Yet, where does this education occur for other health professionals that refer to physical therapy such as chiropractors, physicians, and podiatrist. The primary purpose of this qualitative study was to identify podiatrists’ awareness and perceptions of the knowledge and skill set within the profession of physical therapy; when and how podiatrist are introduced to the profession of physical therapy; and whether or not podiatrist find any benefit in referring patients for physical therapy services.
Description:
Four board-certified Doctors of Podiatric Medicine (DPM), from a large metropolitan area, were recruited via snowball sampling. Face to face semi-structured interviews were conducted and recorded (via audio) with participant approval. Recordings were transcribed verbatim and data was coded. With this data, generalized conclusions of podiatrists’ perceptions of physical therapy were used to identify gaps in knowledge of the profession of physical therapy. Podiatrist in this study were introduced to physical therapy via social circles; referrals to physical therapy varied greatly from nearly no referrals to 30 referrals monthly; and awareness of physical therapy knowledge and skill set was limited to modalities (i.e. ultrasound) and exercise.
Summary of Use:
Consistent gaps were identified and then use to create an educational pamphlet to enlighten the participating podiatrists’ awareness of physical therapy and to promote a stronger inter-professional relationship between podiatry and physical therapy in order to provide optimal care to mutual clientele. Information regarding the physical therapist’s knowledge of lower extremity dysfunction/pathology and differential diagnosis; skill set including manual therapy, electrical stimulation, and non-pharmaceutical pain management techniques; and benefit of a more holistic inter-professional approach to treating patients with foot/lower extremity pathologies.
Importance to Members:
As health care continues to embrace interprofessional education, physical therapy should consider expanding beyond traditional therapies and broaden the scope to referral sources to ensure optimal care and recovery of shared patients. This research reveals gaps in knowledge of podiatrist (a referral source physical therapy) in regards to physical therapy knowledge and skills set which could lead to better outcomes for their patients. Since physical therapy is not discussed in the academic setting, it becomes the responsibility of practicing PT to educate podiatrist on the complimentary physical therapy services that would benefit their patients.