Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7376-9385
Date of Award
12-16-2024
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Educational Psychology and Special Education
First Advisor
Daphne Greenberg, Ph.D.
Second Advisor
Iris Feinberg, Ph.D.
Third Advisor
Ann Kruger, Ph.D.
Fourth Advisor
Hongli Li, Ph.D.
Abstract
Patient education is a primary physical therapy intervention that physical therapists and physical therapist assistants use in patient care, however not much is known about patient education practice in the United States. This study addressed this gap by surveying physical therapists and physical therapy assistants in the state of Georgia with a survey instrument developed from the works of Forbes et al. (2017a), Snook et al. (2022), Coleman et al. (2017), and Zappin et al. (2023). The following research questions guided this study: What are the most important and most frequently used patient education activities as reported by physical therapists and physical therapist assistants in Georgia? What are the perceived barriers to successful patient education as reported by physical therapists and physical therapist assistants in Georgia? Do physical therapists and physical therapist assistants report using clear communication techniques in Georgia? If yes, what? What is the current knowledge of health literacy among physical therapists and physical therapist assistants in Georgia? Is there an interaction between demographics (provider type e.g. physical therapist or physical therapist assistant, gender identity, or racial/ethnic identity) and the results found in the previous analyses? Surveys were completed by 157 individuals who reported using a wide variety of methods to educate patients. Top barriers to effective patient education include patient’s cognitive status, emotional status, and lack of trust/rapport between patient and provider. Respondents reported using six of the eight recommended clear communication techniques, although the correct definition of health literacy universal precautions was not known by most. Although the therapists believe that written instructions are important and frequently are provided, they rarely evaluate the level of reading material. Additionally, the results found differences based on provider demographics. For example, differences in health literacy knowledge (physical therapists had higher knowledge scores than physical therapist assistants), use of medical jargon (males were more likely to use), and use of written and verbal instructions (females more likely to provide) were found. Implications and future directions for research related to physical therapist and physical therapist assistant patient education and clear communication are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Lorio, Anne Kilpatrick, "Responses To A Physical Therapy Patient Education Survey.." Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2024.
https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/ltd_diss/46
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