Higher Education Research

| Peer-Reviewed |

Evaluation of the American Physical Therapy Association’s Guidelines for Training Culturally Competent Physical Therapists

Received: 21 June 2020    Accepted: 20 July 2020    Published: 23 July 2020
Views:       Downloads:

Share This Article

Abstract

Background: Training healthcare practitioners on cultural competence and increasing the cultural diversity of healthcare professionals, may help to alleviate barriers and improve patient outcomes. The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) has implemented goals and guidelines for the training of culturally competent physical therapists. The goal of this study was to evaluate whether an association exists between physical therapy directors’ self-reports of the implementation of the APTA goals and guidelines and the cultural competence of those directors, and also to examine whether there are racial/ethnic differences in the implementation of these goals and guidelines and cultural competency among the directors. Methods: The study design was a cross sectional. The survey was sent to 225 physical therapy directors who were required to provide information about the implementation of the APTA goals and guidelines, cultural competency, and demographic characteristics. Linear regression was used to test the association between the implementation of APTA goals and guidelines and the cultural competence of the physical therapy directors. Independent sample t-tests were used to examine whether there were racial/ethnic differences in the implementation of these goals and guidelines and the cultural competence of the directors. Results: A total of 47 physical therapy directors responded to the survey. There was no significant relationship between the implementation of APTA goals and guidelines and the cultural competence of the physical therapy directors or significant racial/ethnic differences in the implementation of the goals and guidelines and cultural competence among the directors. Conclusions: Recommendations for practicing cultural competency in the field of physical therapy will need to be supported by further research into other populations. Other frameworks for understanding cultural competence among physical therapists should be explored.

DOI 10.11648/j.her.20200504.16
Published in Higher Education Research (Volume 5, Issue 4, August 2020)
Page(s) 154-161
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Physical Therapy, Cultural Competence, Guidelines, Program Directors

References
[1] Colby, S. L., & Jennifer, M. O. (2017). Projections of the size and composition of the US population: 2014 to 2060: Population estimates and projections. 2017.
[2] Humes, K. R., Jones, N. A., & Ramirez, R. R. (2010). Overview of race and Hispanic origin: Washington, DC: U.S. Census Bureau. 2011. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-02.pdf.
[3] Heisler, E., & Shrestha, L. The changing demographic profile of the United States. Congressional Research Service, 7, 5700.
[4] Laveist, T. A., & Pierre, G. (2014). Integrating the 3Ds—Social Determinants, Health Disparities, and Health-Care Workforce Diversity. Public Health Reports. 129 (1_suppl2), 9-14. doi: 10.1177/00333549141291s204.
[5] Leavitt, R. (2002). Developing cultural competence in a multicultural world: Part 1. PT Mag Phys Ther, 10 (12), 1-22.
[6] MacMurdie, I. (2017). RC 11-17: Diversity in Physical Therapy? Retrieved April 4, 2019, from https://ptthinktank.com/2017/06/12/rc-11-17-diversity-in-physical-therapy/.
[7] Jeudin, P., Liveright, E., Carmen M. G. D., & Perkins, R. B. (2014). Race, Ethnicity, and Income Factors Impacting Human Papillomavirus Vaccination rates. Clinical Therapeutics. 36 (1), 24-37. doi: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2013.11.001.
[8] Leung, T. F., Ko, F. W., Sy, H. Y., Tsui, S. K., & Wong, G. W. (2014). Differences in asthma genetics between Chinese and other populations. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 133 (1), 42-48. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2013.09.018.
[9] Patel, M. I., Schupp, C. W., Gomez, S. L., Chang, E. T., & Wakelee, H. A. (2013). How Do Social Factors Explain Outcomes in Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer Among Hispanics in California? Explaining the Hispanic Paradox. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 31 (28), 3572-3578. doi: 10.1200/jco.2012.48.6217.
[10] Romero, C. X., Romero, T. E., Shlay, J. C., Ogden, L. G., & Dabelea, D. (2012). Changing Trends in the Prevalence and Disparities of Obesity and Other Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Three Racial/Ethnic Groups of USA Adults. Advances in Preventive Medicine, 2012, 1-8. doi: 10.1155/2012/172423.
[11] Vaughan, A. S., Rosenberg, E., Shouse, R. L., & Sullivan, P. S. (2014). Connecting Race and Place: A County-Level Analysis of White, Black, and Hispanic HIV Prevalence, Poverty, and Level of Urbanization. American Journal of Public Health, 104 (7), doi: 10.2105/ajph.2014.301997.
[12] Brusin, J. H. (2012). How cultural competency can help reduce health disparities. Radiologic technology, 84 (2), 129-152.
[13] Adepoju, O. E., Preston, M. A., Gonzales, G. (2015). Health Care Disparities in the Post–Affordable Care Act Era. American Journal of Public Health, 105 (S5). doi: 10.2105/ajph.2015.302611.
[14] Campinha-Bacote, J. (2002). The Process of Cultural Competence in the Delivery of Healthcare Services: A Model of Care. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 13 (3), 181-184. doi: 10.1177/10459602013003003.
[15] Leininger, M. (1997). Overview of the Theory of Culture Care with the Ethnonursing Research Method. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 8 (2), 32-52. doi: 10.1177/104365969700800205.
[16] Hayward, L. M., Li, L. (2014). Promoting and Assessing Cultural Competence, Professional Identity, and Advocacy in Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Degree Students Within a Community of Practice. Journal of Physical Therapy Education, 28 (1), 23-36. doi: 10.1097/00001416-201410000-00005.
[17] Matteliano, M. A., & Stone, J. H. (2014). Cultural competence education in university rehabilitation programs. Journal of Cultural Diversity, 21 (3), 112–118.
[18] Nixon-Cave, K., & Meadows, J. (2014). Developing Cultural Competence in DPT Students: Is There a Best Practice Educational Model to Facilitate Students Achieving Cultural Competence? Journal of Physical Therapy Education, 28 (1), 37-38. doi: 10.1097/00001416-201410000-00006.
[19] Leininger, M. M. (1991). Cultural Care Diversity and Universality: a Theory of Nursing. New York: National League for Nursing Press.
[20] Saha, S., Beach, M. C., & Cooper, L. A. (2008). Patient Centeredness, Cultural Competence and Healthcare Quality. Journal of the National Medical Association, 100 (11), 1275-1285. doi: 10.1016/s0027-9684(15)31505-4.
[21] Celik, H., Abma, T. A., Klinge, I., & Widdershoven, G. A. (2012). Process evaluation of a diversity training program: The value of a mixed method strategy. Evaluation and Program Planning, 35 (1), 54-65. doi: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2011.07.001.
[22] Ansuya, A. (2012). Transcultural nursing: cultural competence in nurses. International Journal of Nursing Education, 4 (1), 5-7.
[23] Truong, M., Paradies, Y., & Priest, N. (2014). Interventions to improve cultural competency in healthcare: a systematic review of reviews. BMC Health Services Research, 14 (1). doi: 10.1186/1472-6963-14-99.
[24] American Physical Therapy Association. Blueprint for teaching cultural competence in physical therapy education. 2014. Retrieved from https://www.apta.org/Educators/Curriculum/APTA/CulturalCompetence/Association of American Medical Colleges. (2016). Underrepresented in medicine definition. Retrieved from https://www.aamc.org/initiatives/urm/.
[25] Thorpe, Q., & Williams-YorK, B. (2012). Incorporating Cultural Competency into a Physical Therapist Assistant Curriculum. Journal of Best Practices in Health Professions Diversity: Education, Research & Policy, 5 (2).
[26] Portalla, T., & Chen, G. M. (2010). The development and validation of the intercultural effectiveness scale. International Communication Studies, 19, 21–36.
[27] Given, L. M. (2008). The Sage Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods. Los Angeles, CA: Sage.
[28] Rossman, G. B., & Rallis, S. F. (2016). Learning in the Field: An Introduction to Qualitative Research. Los Angeles: SAGE.
[29] Liu, X. S. (2014). Statistical Power Analysis for the Social and Behavioral Sciences: Basic and Advanced Techniques. New York: Routledge.
[30] Budó, M. D. L. D., Schimith, M. D., Alves, C. N., Wilhelm, L. A., Ressel, L. B. (2016). Care and culture: an interface in the nursing knowledge production. Revista de Pesquisa: Cuidado é Fundamental Online, 8 (1), 3691. doi: 10.9789/2175-5361.2016.v8i1.3691-3704.
[31] Yeowell, G. (2013). ‘Isn’t it all Whites?’ Ethnic diversity and the physiotherapy profession. Physiotherapy, 99 (4), 341-346. doi: 10.1016/j.physio.2013.01.004.
[32] Chaudry, A., & Beasley, E. (2012). Linguistically competent care for patients with limited English proficiency: A necessity for best practice in physical therapy. HPA Resource, 12 (3), 24–26.
[33] Cleaver, S. R., Carvajal, J. K., Sheppard, P. S. (2016). Cultural Humility: A Way of Thinking to Inform Practice Globally. Physiotherapy Canada, 68 (1), 1-2. doi: 10.3138/ptc.68.1.gee.
[34] Fougner, M., Horntvedt, A. T. (2011). Perceptions of Norwegian physiotherapy students: Cultural diversity in practice. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice, 28 (1), 18-25. doi: 10.3109/09593985.2011.560238.
[35] Grzelak, C. R., Glickman, L. (2014). Reflections on an International Immersion Experience: A Doctor of Physical Therapy Student’s Perspective. Journal of Physical Therapy Education, 28 (1), 16-22. doi: 10.1097/00001416-201410000-00004.
[36] Nuciforo, M. A. (2014). Minority Applicants to Physical Therapist Education Programs 2010-2012. Physical Therapy, 95 (1), 39-50. doi: 10.2522/ptj.20130585.
[37] Peiying, N., Goddard, T., Gribble, N., & Pickard, C. (2012). International Placements Increase the Cultural Sensitivity and Competency of Professional Health Students: A Quantitative and Qualitative Study. Journal of Physical Therapy Education, 26 (1), 61-68. doi: 10.1097/00001416-201210000-00011.
[38] Wehbe-Alamah, H., & Fry, D. (2014). Creating a Culturally Sensitive and Welcoming Academic Environment for Diverse Health Care Students: A Model Exemplified With Muslim Physical Therapist Students. Journal of Physical Therapy Education, 28 (1), 5-15. doi: 10.1097/00001416-201410000-00003.
[39] Steed, R. (2014). Caucasian allied health students’ attitudes towards African-Americans: Implications for instruction and research. The ABNF Journal, Summer, 80–85.
[40] Awosogba, T., Betancourt, J. R., Conyers, & F. G., et al. (2013). Prioritizing health disparities in medical education to improve care. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1287 (1), 17-30. doi: 10.1111/nyas.12117.
[41] Oelke, N. D., Thurston, W. E., & Arthur, N. (2013). Intersections between interprofessional practice, cultural competency and primary healthcare. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 27 (5), 367-372. doi: 10.3109/13561820.2013.785502.
[42] Renzaho, A. M. N., Romios, P., Crock, C., & Sonderlund, A. L. (2013). The effectiveness of cultural competence programs in ethnic minority patient-centered health care--a systematic review of the literature. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 25 (3), 261-269. doi: 10.1093/intqhc/mzt006.
[43] Manfreda, K. L., Bosnjak, M., Berzelak, J., Haas, I., & Vehovar, V. (2008). Web Surveys versus other Survey Modes: A Meta-Analysis Comparing Response Rates. International Journal of Market Research, 50 (1), 79-104. doi: 10.1177/147078530805000107.
[44] Biersdorff, K. K. (2009). How many is enough? The quest for an acceptable survey response rate. Bright Ideas. https://kkbiersdorff.wordpress.com/2009/09/16/how-many-is-enough/. Published September 16, 2009. Accessed April 20, 2019.
[45] Leininger, M. (1992). Theory of culture care and uses in clinical and community contexts. In M. Parker (Ed.), Theories on nursing (pp. 345–372). New York, NY: National League for Nursing Press; 1992.
[46] Leininger, M. (1995). Transcultural nursing (2nd ed.) New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 1995.
[47] Zoucha, R., Husted, G. (2000). The Ethical Dimensions Of Delivering Culturally Congruent Nursing And Health Care. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 21 (3), 325-340. doi: 10.1080/016128400248121.
[48] Synnott, A., O’Keeffe, M., Bunzli, S., Dankaerts, W., Osullivan, P., & Osullivan, K. (2015). Physiotherapists may stigmatise or feel unprepared to treat people with low back pain and psychosocial factors that influence recovery: a systematic review. Journal of Physiotherapy, 61 (2), 68-76. doi: 10.1016/j.jphys.2015.02.016.
[49] Doherty, D., Maher, S. F., Ivanikiw, C., Hales, M., Lebiecki, T., & Wren, P. A. (2017). Perceptions of cultural competency in doctor of physical therapy students introduction. Journal of Cultural Diversity, 24 (2). Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
[50] Kottak, C. P. (2018). Mirror for Humanity: a Concise Introduction to Cultural Anthropology. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
[51] Chu, J., Leino, A., Pflum, S., & Sue, S. (2016). Psychotherapy With Racial/Ethnic Minority Groups: Theory and Practice. In L. E. Beutler, A. J. Consoli, & B. Bongar (Eds.), Comprehensive textbook of psychotherapy: Theory and practice (pp. 346-362). Oxford University Press; 2016.
[52] American Physical Therapy Association. (2012). Operational plan on cultural competence. Retrieved from http://www.apta.org/uploadedFiles/APTAorg/About_Us/Policies/APTA_Adopted_Plans/OperationalPlanCulturalCompetence.pdf#search=%22Facilitatethedevelopmentofculturallycompetentphysicaltherapists%22APTA_Adopted_Plans/OperationalPlanCulturalCompetence.pdf.
Author Information
  • School of Physical Therapy, Touro University, Henderson, USA

Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    James McKivigan. (2020). Evaluation of the American Physical Therapy Association’s Guidelines for Training Culturally Competent Physical Therapists. Higher Education Research, 5(4), 154-161. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.her.20200504.16

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    James McKivigan. Evaluation of the American Physical Therapy Association’s Guidelines for Training Culturally Competent Physical Therapists. High. Educ. Res. 2020, 5(4), 154-161. doi: 10.11648/j.her.20200504.16

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    James McKivigan. Evaluation of the American Physical Therapy Association’s Guidelines for Training Culturally Competent Physical Therapists. High Educ Res. 2020;5(4):154-161. doi: 10.11648/j.her.20200504.16

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.her.20200504.16,
      author = {James McKivigan},
      title = {Evaluation of the American Physical Therapy Association’s Guidelines for Training Culturally Competent Physical Therapists},
      journal = {Higher Education Research},
      volume = {5},
      number = {4},
      pages = {154-161},
      doi = {10.11648/j.her.20200504.16},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.her.20200504.16},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.her.20200504.16},
      abstract = {Background: Training healthcare practitioners on cultural competence and increasing the cultural diversity of healthcare professionals, may help to alleviate barriers and improve patient outcomes. The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) has implemented goals and guidelines for the training of culturally competent physical therapists. The goal of this study was to evaluate whether an association exists between physical therapy directors’ self-reports of the implementation of the APTA goals and guidelines and the cultural competence of those directors, and also to examine whether there are racial/ethnic differences in the implementation of these goals and guidelines and cultural competency among the directors. Methods: The study design was a cross sectional. The survey was sent to 225 physical therapy directors who were required to provide information about the implementation of the APTA goals and guidelines, cultural competency, and demographic characteristics. Linear regression was used to test the association between the implementation of APTA goals and guidelines and the cultural competence of the physical therapy directors. Independent sample t-tests were used to examine whether there were racial/ethnic differences in the implementation of these goals and guidelines and the cultural competence of the directors. Results: A total of 47 physical therapy directors responded to the survey. There was no significant relationship between the implementation of APTA goals and guidelines and the cultural competence of the physical therapy directors or significant racial/ethnic differences in the implementation of the goals and guidelines and cultural competence among the directors. Conclusions: Recommendations for practicing cultural competency in the field of physical therapy will need to be supported by further research into other populations. Other frameworks for understanding cultural competence among physical therapists should be explored.},
     year = {2020}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Evaluation of the American Physical Therapy Association’s Guidelines for Training Culturally Competent Physical Therapists
    AU  - James McKivigan
    Y1  - 2020/07/23
    PY  - 2020
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.her.20200504.16
    DO  - 10.11648/j.her.20200504.16
    T2  - Higher Education Research
    JF  - Higher Education Research
    JO  - Higher Education Research
    SP  - 154
    EP  - 161
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2578-935X
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.her.20200504.16
    AB  - Background: Training healthcare practitioners on cultural competence and increasing the cultural diversity of healthcare professionals, may help to alleviate barriers and improve patient outcomes. The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) has implemented goals and guidelines for the training of culturally competent physical therapists. The goal of this study was to evaluate whether an association exists between physical therapy directors’ self-reports of the implementation of the APTA goals and guidelines and the cultural competence of those directors, and also to examine whether there are racial/ethnic differences in the implementation of these goals and guidelines and cultural competency among the directors. Methods: The study design was a cross sectional. The survey was sent to 225 physical therapy directors who were required to provide information about the implementation of the APTA goals and guidelines, cultural competency, and demographic characteristics. Linear regression was used to test the association between the implementation of APTA goals and guidelines and the cultural competence of the physical therapy directors. Independent sample t-tests were used to examine whether there were racial/ethnic differences in the implementation of these goals and guidelines and the cultural competence of the directors. Results: A total of 47 physical therapy directors responded to the survey. There was no significant relationship between the implementation of APTA goals and guidelines and the cultural competence of the physical therapy directors or significant racial/ethnic differences in the implementation of the goals and guidelines and cultural competence among the directors. Conclusions: Recommendations for practicing cultural competency in the field of physical therapy will need to be supported by further research into other populations. Other frameworks for understanding cultural competence among physical therapists should be explored.
    VL  - 5
    IS  - 4
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

  • Sections