Establishing a Research Agenda for Physiotherapy in Portugal: A Delphi Study.
Isa Silva, Sara Souto-Miranda, Fernando Ribeiro and 5 others
PMID 40397059WHAT IT FOUND
Physiotherapists and service users in Portugal agreed that research should focus on keeping patients out of hospital, improving service delivery, and enhancing professional education.
Technology and big data were rated much lower, especially by service users.
Key findings
01After two rounds, ten priorities met the consensus threshold in both panels, with the top-rated priority being research into how physiotherapy can keep people with conditions like respiratory problems or fall risks out of hospital.
02Service users rated technology-related priorities much lower than physiotherapists did, with the top technology priority ranking 51st for users compared to 26th for clinicians.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The survey was long, which may have caused participant fatigue and affected ratings for later items. The online format may have introduced response bias, favoring participants with higher digital literacy and education levels. Service users included both patients and caregivers without differentiating between them, potentially masking distinct perspectives. Attrition was high among service users, dropping from 70 in Round 1 to 30 in Round 2, which is near the minimum target of 30.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these ratings as evidence that these interventions are effective or currently implemented. This study identifies what experts and users want researched in the future, not what works in practice today.