Edmund Leahy, Lucy Chipchase, Rocco Cavaleri, Felicity C Blackstock
{"title":"Does online clinical mentoring for physical therapists enhance clinical practice and patient outcomes? A randomized controlled trial.","authors":"Edmund Leahy, Lucy Chipchase, Rocco Cavaleri, Felicity C Blackstock","doi":"10.1080/10669817.2025.2481605","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The aim of this study was to determine whether a short-term online clinical mentoring program was more effective than asynchronous online lectures at improving physical therapists' (PT) practice and their patients' outcomes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this randomized controlled trial, 27 PTs were randomized with allocation concealment to 6 h of online clinical mentoring sessions (experimental group) or 6-h of asynchronous online lectures (control group). The primary patient outcome was function, assessed using the Patient-Specific Functional Scale (PSFS), evaluated at baseline (initial consultation) and 4-week follow-up. Secondary patient outcomes were the Functional Rating Index (FRI) and Global Rating of Change Scale (GRC). Clinician (PT) outcomes were the 'Clinician Confidence Questionnaire for Patients with Spinal Pain' and the 'Self-Reflection Insight Scale', which were evaluated before and after the professional development interventions by blinded assessors. Linear mixed model regression analysis was used to explore differences in patient outcomes. PT outcomes were analyzed using analyses of covariance to control for any baseline differences.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Twenty-three PTs and 122 patients completed follow-up assessments. There were no between-group differences for any patient clinical outcomes (PSFS MD = 0.02, 95% CI -0.83, 0.79, <i>p</i> = 0.95; FRI MD = -3.01, 95% CI -10.71, 4.69, <i>p</i> = 0.42; Global Rating of Change MD = -0.08, 95% CI -1.09, 0.92, <i>p</i> = 0.86). There were also no differences between groups in terms of PTs confidence (MD = -2.17, 95% CI -9.11, 4.76, <i>p</i> = 0.52) or self-reflection insight (MD = 3.66, 95% CI -1.94, 9.27, <i>p</i> = 0.19).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>A 6-h online clinical mentoring program did not significantly influence PT confidence, self-reflection nor the outcomes of their patients when compared to 6 h of asynchronous online lectures.</p><p><strong>Impact: </strong>The results from this study may inform those designing or seeking professional development. Future online clinical mentoring should consider alternative program designs, target PTs with capacity to improve their patient outcomes, and evaluate effects on patients with chronic pain.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>ACTRN12622000123741.</p>","PeriodicalId":47319,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy","volume":" ","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10669817.2025.2481605","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"REHABILITATION","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine whether a short-term online clinical mentoring program was more effective than asynchronous online lectures at improving physical therapists' (PT) practice and their patients' outcomes.
Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 27 PTs were randomized with allocation concealment to 6 h of online clinical mentoring sessions (experimental group) or 6-h of asynchronous online lectures (control group). The primary patient outcome was function, assessed using the Patient-Specific Functional Scale (PSFS), evaluated at baseline (initial consultation) and 4-week follow-up. Secondary patient outcomes were the Functional Rating Index (FRI) and Global Rating of Change Scale (GRC). Clinician (PT) outcomes were the 'Clinician Confidence Questionnaire for Patients with Spinal Pain' and the 'Self-Reflection Insight Scale', which were evaluated before and after the professional development interventions by blinded assessors. Linear mixed model regression analysis was used to explore differences in patient outcomes. PT outcomes were analyzed using analyses of covariance to control for any baseline differences.
Results: Twenty-three PTs and 122 patients completed follow-up assessments. There were no between-group differences for any patient clinical outcomes (PSFS MD = 0.02, 95% CI -0.83, 0.79, p = 0.95; FRI MD = -3.01, 95% CI -10.71, 4.69, p = 0.42; Global Rating of Change MD = -0.08, 95% CI -1.09, 0.92, p = 0.86). There were also no differences between groups in terms of PTs confidence (MD = -2.17, 95% CI -9.11, 4.76, p = 0.52) or self-reflection insight (MD = 3.66, 95% CI -1.94, 9.27, p = 0.19).
Conclusion: A 6-h online clinical mentoring program did not significantly influence PT confidence, self-reflection nor the outcomes of their patients when compared to 6 h of asynchronous online lectures.
Impact: The results from this study may inform those designing or seeking professional development. Future online clinical mentoring should consider alternative program designs, target PTs with capacity to improve their patient outcomes, and evaluate effects on patients with chronic pain.
期刊介绍：
The Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy is an international peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the publication of original research, case reports, and reviews of the literature that contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the field of manual therapy, clinical research, therapeutic practice, and academic training. In addition, each issue features an editorial written by the editor or a guest editor, media reviews, thesis reviews, and abstracts of current literature. Areas of interest include: •Thrust and non-thrust manipulation •Neurodynamic assessment and treatment •Diagnostic accuracy and classification •Manual therapy-related interventions •Clinical decision-making processes •Understanding clinimetrics for the clinician
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号
