The knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of physiotherapists and chiropractors in South Africa.
Micaela Ravidutt, Sonill Mahara
PMID 38445218WHAT IT FOUND
South African physiotherapists and chiropractors mostly rated each other competent and effective.
Chiropractors more often knew physiotherapy qualifications and course length than physiotherapists knew chiropractic qualifications and course length. Referral to physiotherapy was more common than referral to chiropractic.
Key findings
01Only 26.3% of physiotherapists knew that chiropractors graduate with a Master's Degree, while 93.1% of chiropractors knew that physiotherapists graduate with a Bachelor's Degree.
02Most participants rated the other profession competent in musculoskeletal and neurological examination and said its treatments were effective.
03Chiropractors referred patients to physiotherapists more often than physiotherapists referred patients to chiropractors: 81.9% versus 55.3%.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The response rates were low: 12.95% of registered chiropractors and 6.36% of physiotherapists took part. Chiropractor respondents were mainly from Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, so their views may not represent all South African chiropractors. The study used a self-designed questionnaire adapted from earlier questionnaires, and the paper does not report validation of the final questionnaire. The survey was done during COVID-19 lockdown, which may have limited access to the questionnaire and practice context. Physiotherapists in the public sector had little interaction with chiropractors because there are no chiropractor posts in public health services.
Declared interests
The only funding and conflicts information supplied is a Durban University of Technology scholarship.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that animosity between these professions has been disproved. The survey only captured views from 116 chiropractors and 190 physiotherapists, and response rates were 12.95% and 6.36%.