Professional practice, competence, and education related to COVID-19: A mixed-methods light study of physiotherapists’ experiences

ABSTRACT

Background

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) became a significant challenge for the work and personal experience of physiotherapists (PTs)

Objective

To investigate how the work activities of PTs in a region in Italy have changed, describe the reasons for change, perceived competence, and effectiveness of professional education, and explore their personal experience

Methods

We adopted a monocentric convergent mixed-methods light–questionnaire variant study. The questionnaire contains both closed-ended and open-ended questions. Quantitative and qualitative data were combined to interpret the results

Results

Among 78 respondents (response rate 24.4%), 87.2% worked during the pandemic, 52.9% treated patients with COVID-19, and 45.6% changed their working activities. Professional competence was perceived as low in intensive and sub-intensive care settings. The major critical aspect of professional education was respiratory rehabilitation. Life-learning education was judged as effective, even if mainly focused on safety. Nine themes emerged from the analysis of the PTs’ experiences: 1) Physiotherapy during COVID-19; 2) Fear and negative feelings; 3) Positive aspects; 4) Organization and management; 5) Prevention measures; 6) Patients; 7) Change; 8) Information; and 9) Professional education

Conclusions

PTs who have direct experience with patients with COVID-19 showed great resilience. They overcame the first phase of disorientation and fear, despite a specific lack of competence in the respiratory field.

KEYWORDS:

• Coronavirus disease 2019
• physiotherapist
• competence
• experience
• mixed-methods study

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the General Direction Management, Dr. Paola Bardasi, the staff of the Accreditation Quality Research Innovation (AcQuaRI) unit of the S. Anna University Hospital of Ferrara, and the Director of the Interdepartmental Educational Service, Dr. Marilena Bacilieri, for their support in conducting this study. They also thank the TSRM-PSTRP Professional Order of Ferrara for the fundamental collaboration in the administration of the questionnaire. A special thanks to all the colleagues who took the time to answer the questionnaire during such difficult times of COVID-19.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/09593985.2022.2142083

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.