Views of physiotherapists on factors that play a role in ethical decision-making: an international online survey study.
Andrea Sturm, Roswith Roth, Amanda Louise Ager
PMID 36721251WHAT IT FOUND
Physiotherapists agreed ethical decisions need more than rule-following and value workplace culture.
Most disagreed that entry-level training was a solid foundation, while regional differences appeared in how much culture, religion and senior colleagues were seen to influence choices.
Key findings
01The statement that ethical decision-making requires more skills than just observing a code of conduct or ethical principles received the second-highest agreement of all survey items.
02A recognisable organisational culture of ethical practice helping a physiotherapist make a good ethical decision was one of the three highest-rated statements.
03Most participants disagreed that the ethics education in their basic physiotherapy training provided a solid foundation for ethical decision-making.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The survey was English-only and online, so it excluded physiotherapists without internet access or who prefer another language. Participants were recruited through professional networks, social media and a paid advertisement, which may attract people with a strong interest in ethics. The response was not representative of the global profession; only 2% came from the South America region. One hundred fifty participants dropped out before completing the main rating section, and they were younger and less experienced than those who finished. The factors in the survey were borrowed from business and management ethics, so they may not capture every dimension of physiotherapy ethics. Self-reported agreement can be influenced by social desirability, even though the survey was anonymous.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the Salzburger Landesregierung. The authors did not report any competing interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the high agreement on organisational culture as evidence that a specific ethics programme improves patient care or decision-making. This survey reports what physiotherapists believe about factors in ethical decision-making, not the effect of an intervention.