Physiotherapy students perceptions of clinical reasoning

Date
2020-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY : Clinical reasoning is a vital competency of professional physiotherapy practice that contributes to the effectiveness of physiotherapy patient outcomes. Research on clinical reasoning and the physiotherapy student is limited. The purpose of this study was to explore physiotherapy students’ perceptions of clinical reasoning and its development during clinical practice. This study used a qualitative research approach guided by a phenomenological framework. Individual semi-structured interviews were the chosen method of collecting data. An external interviewer conducted the interviews. The participants in the study were ten third- and fourth-year physiotherapy students from the Division of Physiotherapy, Stellenbosch University. Data were analysed applying an inductive, iterative process and using coding analysis to organise the data into themes and sub-themes. Students offered a conceptualisation of clinical reasoning that included the core dimensions of knowledge and cognition, elements of hypothetical deductive reasoning, and an interactive process of including the patient. Clinical exposure was expressed as critical to the development of clinical reasoning. Various factors were described as influencing the development of clinical reasoning, and especially the enabling Community of Practice, and a disabling lack of explicit teaching of clinical reasoning. The study concludes that the development of clinical reasoning in the physiotherapy student can be enhanced through clinical exposure and supported by an explicit and student-centred approach to teaching clinical reasoning.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Kliniese redenering is ‘n noodsaaklike vaardigheid van professionele fisioterapiepraktyk wat bydra tot die effektiwiteit van fisioterapiepasiënt-uitkomste. Navorsing oor kliniese redenering en die fisioterapie-student is egter beperk. Die doel van hierdie studie was om fisioterapie-studente se persepsie van kliniese redenering en die ontwikkeling daarvan tydens kliniese praktyk te ondersoek. Hierdie studie gebruik ‘n kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering, gelei deur ‘n fenomenologiese raamwerk. Individuele semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is gekies as die metode om data te versamel. Onderhoude is deur ‘n eksterne onderhoudvoerder gedoen. Tien derde- en vierdejaar fisioterapiestudente van die Fisioterapie Afdeling by Stellenbosch Universiteit het deelgeneem aan die studie. Data is ontleed deur middel van ‘n induktiewe, iteratiewe proses en koderingsanalise is gebruik om data in temas en subtemas te organiseer. Studente het ‘n konseptualisering van kliniese redenering aangebied as ‘n kerndimensie van kennis en kognisie, elemente van hipotetiese deduktiewe redenering asook ‘n interaktiewe proses om die pasiënt in te sluit. Kliniese blootstelling is deurslaggewend vir die ontwikkeling van kliniese redenering. Verskeie faktore wat beskryf is het ‘n inlvloed op die ontwikkeling van kliniese redenering, veral die bemagtigende Gemeenskap van Praktyk en die gebrek aan akkurate onderrig in kliniese redenering. Die studie kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat die ontwikkeling van kliniese redenering by die fisioterapie-student kan verbeter deur kliniese blootstelling en ondersteun word deur ‘n akkurate en studentgesentreerde benadering tot die onderrig van kliniese redenering.
Description
Thesis (MMed)--Stellenbosch University, 2020.
Keywords
Physical therapy students -- Attitudes, Medical logic, Physiotherapy -- Practice, UCTD
Citation