Prognosis in Entry-Level Physiotherapy Programs: An Australian and New Zealand Framework for Developing Knowledge and Skills for Musculoskeletal Practice

Abstract

Question: How should prognosis in relation to musculoskeletal disorders be incorporated into the curriculum of entry-level physiotherapy programs within Australia and New Zealand?

Design: Consensus group methodology using the nominal group technique.

Participants: Twelve members considered experts in the fields of musculoskeletal physiotherapy and entry-level education in Australia and New Zealand were invited to participate.

Method: The nominal group technique method implemented involved three specific stages. In stage one members were provided with pre-reading material related to the topic of prognosis. They were instructed to generate ideas and feedback related to this material. Stage two involved an online consensus group meeting to discuss the ideas and feedback generated from the pre-reading material. Consensus statements were also generated within this meeting. Stage three involved rounds of iterative feedback and refinement of the consensus statements.

Results: Four consensus statements were generated including the definition of prognosis; the purpose of learning about prognosis; recommendations for incorporating prognosis into entry-level curriculum; and what elements of prognosis should be taught and assessed.

Conclusion: Prognosis is a complex but essential concept to incorporate within entry-level physiotherapy curriculum. Entry-level physiotherapy programs should be explicit in the teaching and assessment of the knowledge and skills relating to prognosis. This framework may assist educators in incorporating prognostic content throughout their curriculum.