Foot and Ankle Curricular Guidelines in Entry-Level Physical Therapist Education: How Are We Doing?

Introduction: The Foot and Ankle Curricular Guidelines for Physical Therapist Professional Degree Programs (FACG) provided recommendations regarding essential entry-level content and skills. Eight years later, the extent of its implementation is unknown. This study characterizes entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs' foot and ankle curriculum with reference to the FACG.

Review of literature: Curricular guidelines offer recommendations to professional degree programs striving for excellence. Review and revisions of guidelines are important to keep pace with and reflect evolving evidence and practice.

Subjects: One faculty member from 116 of 250 DPT programs participated (46.6% response rate). Participants were an average of 50.8 years old and taught a mean of 14.5 years.

Methods: A cross-sectional 25-item online survey assessed foot and ankle contact hours, coverage of FACG recommended content, coverage of surgical procedures, and the use of FACG for curricular assessment, modification, and development.

Results: Foot and ankle content was covered in physical therapy curriculum for a mean of 48.2 hours (range 12-120 hours). Eleven of the 25 recommended diagnoses, 29 of the 49 examination skills, 6 of the 7 intervention skills, and 3 of the 14 surgical procedures were covered by most (≥90%) of the programs. Reported use of FACG for curricular processes averaged 50.1-51.5 (0-100 numerical scale).

Discussion and conclusions: Across a wide range of contact hours, coverage of FACG recommended content was approximately 57% (46/81 recommended elements in ≥90% of programs). Although not specifically recommended by FACG, surgical procedures were less commonly covered by programs. Study findings question FACG implementation and may reflect differences across programs in depth and breadth of content. Identified curricular gaps may warrant addressing in future guidelines.