Financial Resource Management Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes for Entry-level Physical Therapist Practice: A Survey of Physical Therapists in Ohio.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of physical therapists (PTs) regarding the importance of financial resource management (FRM) knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) for entry-level practice and investigate the roles of PT education programs (PTEPs), clinical education experiences (CEEs), and employers in addressing these KSAs. REVIEW OF LITERATURE: FRM KSAs have been identified as components of professionalism and leadership and, as such, are a required element in student PTs (SPTs) educational preparation. SUBJECTS: A purposive sampling of convenience strategy was employed by requesting a free mailing list for Ohio-licensed PTs. METHODS: An online survey was developed based on PT Clinical Performance Instrument Criterion #17, "Patient Management: Financial Resources," as this tool is frequently used to endorse entry-level status of SPTs. Potential participants were solicited through email. Mixed methodology was used to analyze survey results. RESULTS: The survey was completed by 266 PTs. FRM KSAs in legal and regulatory compliance were perceived as most important, followed by coding and billing. Forty-eight percent of participants indicated that FRM KSAs were "less important" (n = 111) or "considerably less important" (n = 17) than clinical care skills, whereas 39.8% (n = 106) believed that these skills are of the same level of importance. Ten themes were derived from qualitative responses regarding the FRM content that should be provided by PTEPs. Participants indicated that the role of PTEPs was to provide an introduction and foundation to FRM, whereas CEEs should facilitate intentional exposure and opportunities to apply FRM KSAs with supervision. Employers were expected to provide education regarding clinic-specific operations and reimbursement considerations, as well as mentorship that included reviewing complex billing for accuracy, offering guidance for improving time management skills, and discussing fiscal responsibilities to both the employer and patient. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This information may guide PTEPs and clinical personnel in providing focused meaningful instruction regarding FRM aspects of PT practice to SPTs and entry-level clinicians.

Overestimation of Balance Ability Among Older Adults at Risk for Falls.

Objective: This study examined alignment of subjective balance confidence with Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths and Injuries (STEADI) fall risk. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of 155 community-dwelling adults (60 + y/o) from 2016 to 2018 who completed a STEADI fall assessment. Descriptive statistics, Chi-Square analysis, and biserial point correlations were applied. Results: Adults who overestimate balance confidence, 55.6% (n = 50) reported a fall in the past year, 62.2% (n = 56) were worried about falling, 48.9% (n = 44) felt unsteady when standing/walking, and 70.0% (n = 63) had a score of ≥4 on the Stay Independent Questionnaire (SIQ). Physical performance for these adults were mean TUG score 10.9s (SD = 3.4), mean 30 second chair stands 10.8 (SD = 3.5), and mean 4-stage balance score 3.1 (SD = .76). Discussion: Older adults are more likely to overestimate their subjective balance confidence. Individuals are equally likely to have reported a fall in the past year if they were "at fall risk," regardless of their subjective balance confidence.

The Time Is Now: Leveraging the Affective Domain in PT Education and Clinical Practice.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The traditional domains of learning are cognitive, psychomotor, and affective. These parallel the habits of head, hand, and heart as the foundations for knowing, doing, and being in health professions education. Physical therapy education is deeply rooted in a cognitive (head) and psychomotor (hand) taxonomy despite the mission, vision, and values of the profession that embody the knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) requiring competence in the affective (heart) domain. Recently, the Model for Excellence and Innovation in Physical Therapy Education and the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy excellence framework in academic physical therapy identified pedagogical variables grounded in the affective domain (AD), including shared beliefs and values, partnerships and collaborations, leadership and innovation, social responsibility and inclusion, and a drive for excellence with high expectations. POSITION AND RATIONALE: Fully integrating the AD into physical therapy education equips the future of the profession with the KSAs to achieve the mission and vision, meet stakeholder needs, and endure the demands of clinical practice. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Explicitly using the AD in physical therapy education is imperative to the success and sustainability of the profession and in meeting critical societal needs. Engaging all learners in the AD does not require monumental curricular change. Intentional activities and strategies can develop the humanistic values of the learner across a curriculum and can shift the culture of academia from primarily cognitive and psychomotor to one that is comprehensive across all domains. The AD informs the cognitive and psychomotor aspects of learning and has direct implications for clinical practice in meeting stakeholder needs.