Clinical educators' perspectives on physical activity and exercise prescription in clinical education for physiotherapy: A qualitative study.
Shamila Gamiet, Farhana Karachi, Joliana Phillips and 1 others
Physiotherapy educators described a persistent gap between what students learn about exercise prescription and what they can actually do in clinic.
They also acknowledged their own knowledge gaps and said acute-care time pressure crowds out long-term exercise planning.
Key findings
1Educators described a theory-practice gap: the curriculum includes adequate exercise prescription content, but students struggle to apply it in clinic, and educators acknowledged their own knowledge gaps in prescribing exercise.
2In acute-care settings, the pressure to discharge patients early limits time for developing long-term exercise programmes, and the focus on immediate management overshadows long-term exercise planning.
3Educators described an evolving professional identity for physiotherapists that extends beyond traditional rehabilitation to include primary prevention, public health leadership, and empowering patients to manage their own exercise.
Still to come
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Single institution (University of the Western Cape), so findings reflect one department's context and may not transfer to other programmes. 11 of 22 invited educators participated; nothing is known about the 11 who declined. Only two focus groups were conducted; the authors note theoretical saturation may not have been fully achieved. Educators' self-reported knowledge gaps are their own perception, not a measured deficit in the curriculum.
Declared interests
Funded by the National Research Foundation (NRF), South Africa, and a University of the Western Cape DVC Research and Innovation grant. No industry funding or conflicts of interest declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these educators' self-reported knowledge gaps as proof the curriculum is missing content. The paper states the curriculum includes adequate EP content; the gap they describe is in applying it in clinic. And this is 11 people at one South African university, not a national finding.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →