Rabey, MartinFortescue, NickyBarrett, CatherineReilly, PeterO'Brien, Daniel2026-05-212026-05-212026-04-24Physiotherapy Theory and Practice, ISSN: 0959-3985 (Print); 1532-5040 (Online), Taylor and Francis Group, ahead-of-print, 1-10. doi: 10.1080/09593985.2026.26632940959-39851532-5040http://hdl.handle.net/10292/21174BACKGROUND: Perceptions of key stakeholders may be barriers or facilitators to advanced practice physiotherapy services. However, the experience and perception of orthopedic consultants regarding advanced practice physiotherapy roles is poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: Explore orthopedic consultants' experiences and perceptions regarding advanced practice physiotherapists in adult orthopedic clinics. METHODS: Qualitative study: Reflexive thematic analysis of data from semi-structured interviews with twelve orthopedic consultants practising at Royal Perth Hospital. Interviews were driven by indicative questions based upon contemporary literature regarding advanced practice physiotherapy and conducted using a constructivist lens to capture diverse perspectives. Themes/subthemes were reviewed by the entire research team. RESULTS: Four themes, capturing conflicting views, were derived: 1) APP role clarity. 2) Enhancement of orthopedic services. 3) Health system challenges. 4) Expectations of orthopedic services. Theme one reflected a lack of clarity, amongst orthopedic consultants interviewed, regarding the advanced practice physiotherapist's role, scope of practice and level of education, while complimenting their diagnostic skills. Theme two highlighted enhancement of orthopedic services through thorough biopsychosocial assessments, contrasting perceptions regarding advanced practice physiotherapist efficiency, and considered whether advanced practice physiotherapists are a burden on orthopedic clinics. Theme three considered shifting clinical responsibilities and the perceived need for clinical pathways. Theme four highlighted negative perceptions of patient and referrer feedback.© 2026 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Advanced practiceconsultantorthopedicsperceptionphysiotherapistqualitative4201 Allied Health and Rehabilitation Science42 Health Sciences8.1 Organisation and delivery of services7.1 Individual care needs1103 Clinical Sciences1106 Human Movement and Sports SciencesRehabilitationJournal ArticleOpenAccess10.1080/09593985.2026.2663294