Assessment of knowledge in palliative care of physical therapists students at a university hospital in Brazil.
Livia R Zalaf, Mayara S Bianchim, Daniel A Alveno
PMID 28460709WHAT IT FOUND
Physical therapists at a Brazilian hospital knew basic palliative care concepts, but many reported team training gaps and some did not use pain scales.
This describes knowledge, not evidence that training improves patient outcomes.
Key findings
01Sixty-eight percent chose the correct definition of palliative care, and 100% considered pain relief important.
0245.7% disagreed that their team had proper training to provide palliative care, and Twenty-four percent reported not using any pain scale in their work routine.
03Most therapists said they would use TENS analgesic and relaxation techniques, but few used TENS in their work routine.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The questionnaire was not validated, and closed questions may have influenced responses. Not all participants answered the entire questionnaire. The sample came from a single university hospital and included undergraduate students, experienced professionals, and graduate students, so the results may not apply to all physical therapists. The study measured reported knowledge and practices, not patient outcomes or the effect of palliative care training.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that palliative care training improves patient outcomes. It measured reported knowledge and practices, and the questionnaire was not validated.