RESUMEN
Purpose: To investigate the opinions of final-year Canadian physiotherapy students of cardiorespiratory physiotherapy (CRP) and the factors influencing their decision about whether to pursue a career in CRP. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was completed by final-year Master of Science of Physical Therapy students from three of the largest English-speaking physiotherapy schools in Canada. Results: A total of 120 students responded to the survey (overall response rate was 44%). Fifteen students (12.5%) responded that they were extremely or quite interested in specializing in CRP. The most common factors that positively influenced students' decision to consider specializing in CRP were job accessibility, potential salary, and experiences in the area, and the most common factors that negatively influenced their decision were the clinical aspects of the area, their experiences in the area, job accessibility, and the influence of others. The most common factors that positively influenced students' opinion of CRP were their clinical supervisor, educator, or lecturer; their own clinical experience; and evidence in the literature, and the most common factors that negatively influenced their opinion were their own clinical experience and their peers. Conclusion: Strategies focusing on increasing awareness of the role of physiotherapists in the care of patients with cardiorespiratory conditions, exposing students to the positive impact that physiotherapists have in this practice area, and good mentorship experiences may promote the attractiveness of this specialty.
Objectif : enquêter sur les opinions des étudiants canadiens de dernière année en physiothérapie sur la physiothérapie cardiorespiratoire (PCR) et les facteurs influant leur décision de poursuivre une carrière en PCR. Méthodes : une enquête transversale a été réalisée via un sondage en ligne auprès d'étudiants en dernière année de la maîtrise en physiothérapie dans trois des plus grandes écoles de physiothérapie anglophones au Canada. Résultats : un total de 120 étudiants ont répondu au sondage (taux de participation: 44 %). Quinze étudiants (12,5 %) ont répondu être extrêmement ou plutôt intéressés à se spécialiser en PCR. Les principaux facteurs d'influence positive sur la décision de se diriger vers une spécialisation en PCR sont l'accès à l'emploi, le salaire potentiel et les expériences dans le domaine, tandis que les principaux facteurs d'influence négative sont les aspects cliniques, leurs expériences dans le domaine, l'accès à l'emploi et l'influence d'autrui. Les principaux facteurs d'influence positive sur leur opinion de la PCR sont leur superviseur clinique, leur formateur ou leur professeur, leur propre expérience clinique et les preuves dans la littérature, tandis que les principaux facteurs d'influence négative sont leur expérience clinique et leurs pairs. Conclusion : des stratégies visant à sensibiliser les étudiants au rôle des physiothérapeutes dans la prestation des soins aux patients souffrant de problèmes cardiorespiratoires et à exposer les étudiants à la contribution des physiothérapeutes dans ce champ de pratique, ainsi que de bonnes expériences de mentorat pourraient promouvoir l'attrait de cette spécialité.
RESUMEN
PURPOSE: To determine whether individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have decreased arm activity during daily life compared with healthy controls and explore the relationships between arm activity during daily life and arm functional measures in individuals with COPD. METHODS: This was a prospective cross-sectional study that included 30 people with COPD and 14 healthy controls. Subjects attended a single assessment session in which measurements of arm exercise capacity, arm functional performance, self-perception of performance during activities of daily living (ADL), shoulder and elbow flexion force and biceps and triceps thickness were performed. On completion of this session, participants were issued a wrist actigraph and asked to wear the device on the dominant arm for 24 hours for 7 consecutive days. RESULTS: Compared with healthy controls, patients with COPD presented decreased total activity level in daily life (P = .001). When corrected for walking, the level of arm activity did not differ between individuals with COPD and healthy controls (P = .62). No correlations were found between arm activity and arm exercise capacity, arm functional performance, upper limb muscle strength, and self-perception of performance during ADL (r =-0.20 to 0.14; all P ≥ .10). CONCLUSIONS: Arm activity intensity in individuals with COPD did not differ from that of healthy controls when measured by a wrist actigraph. Moreover, arm activity was not associated with other clinical outcomes of arm function. Disability during ADL is multifactorial, and only limited inferences of function can be made from accelerometer data.
