Physiotherapists' Use of Attentional Focus Instructions and Feedback in the Philippines: A Survey Study.
Kathlynne F Eguia, Shamay S M Ng, Thomson W L Wong
PMID 39921235WHAT IT FOUND
Philippine physiotherapists prefer internal cues (focusing on body movement) over external cues (focusing on movement outcome) when giving instructions and feedback.
Only half were familiar with attentional focus concepts. Familiarity did not change this preference, suggesting a gap between evidence and practice.
Key findings
01Physiotherapists significantly preferred internal attentional focus for both instructions and feedback, with mean scores below the midpoint indicating this bias.
02Only 52.2% of participants reported familiarity with the concept of attentional focus, which was lower than rates in Canada, Israel, and the Netherlands.
03The preference for internal focus was consistent across practice areas and was not associated with years of experience, education level, or familiarity with the concept.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Self-reported data may not reflect actual clinical practice, as participants might over-report desirable behaviours like using external cues. The study used convenience sampling via social media and emails, which may not represent all physiotherapists, particularly those less engaged online. The survey instrument was validated for content but not formally tested for reliability or construct validity. As a cross-sectional study, it cannot determine if preferences change over time or with specific interventions.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that educating therapists about attentional focus concepts will automatically change their cueing style. In this study, familiarity with the concept was not associated with a shift toward external focus, suggesting that awareness alone does not overcome habitual internal cueing.