Musculoskeletal physiotherapists reasons for treatment selection and continuous professional development practices in the United Kingdom: A cross-sectional survey

PURPOSE: The aims of the study were two-fold 1) to explore the treatment modalities musculoskeletal physiotherapists are utilising and the underlying reasons why and 2) report current continuing professional development (CPD) practises and their perceived effectiveness. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional questionnaire, musculoskeletal physiotherapists in the UK were invited to complete an online survey. The survey captured respondents’ professional characteristics and their main reason for selecting a range of treatments sub-grouped into three broad categories; Manual Therapy, Treatment Modalities and Education Based Approaches. Respondents were asked to report their CPD practises and their perceived effectiveness. Data was converted into proportions with lower and upper limits of the 95% confidence interval (CI). Likert scale questions were treated as numeric variables with the mean and standard deviation (SD) calculated for combined responses. RESULTS: Of the 414 responders, 408 were eligible for analyses. The most common reason for treatment selection, based upon a combined total of 9792 responses across all treatment modalities, was content taught in ‘entry-level training’ (n = 2010, 20.5%, 85% CI 20 to 21), followed by ‘practice related courses or CPD events’ (n = 1241, 12.7%, 95% CI 12 to 13). ‘Self-reflection’ was the most common form of CPD (n = 404). All forms of CPD were considered ‘effective’ for developing knowledge and skills except ‘clinical audit’ and ‘journal clubs’ which were rated as ‘indifferent’ by respondents. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment technique depends heavily on skills taught in entry-level training. Despite research articles amongst the most utilised forms of CPD, a disconnect exists in its implementation as the main driver of treatment selection. A wide range of CPD activities were undertaken by participants and rated as ‘effective’ for acquiring and applying physiotherapy related skills.