Illinois Physical Therapists' Preferences For, Attitudes Toward, and Perceptions of Continuing Education
As of October 2002, physical therapists in Illinois were mandated to engage in continuing education (CE) to maintain their license to practice. The purpose of this investigation was to describe physical therapists' preferences for, attitudes toward, and perceptions of CE. Their perceptions of the variables influencing CE participation and mandatory continuing education (MCE) were also examined, as were their current practices. The investigation was conducted in two phases. Phase One was a qualitative inquiry in which 23 physical therapists (both clinicians and managers) from differing geographic locations in Illinois were interviewed. An interview guide was followed and physical therapists were asked to discuss their perceptions of, attitudes toward, and current practices regarding CE and MCE. Phase Two was a survey inquiry conducted in order to obtain the perceptions of a greater number of physical therapists in Illinois. Physical therapists from 50 randomly selected hospitals in Illinois were asked to complete a survey designed to determine the variables influencing their decision to participate in CE, logistic preferences, topic preferences, and attitudes toward CE and MCE. In addition, an official responsible for developing the state mandate was interviewed to obtain an historical perspective of the decisions that led to MCE. In both Phase One and Phase Two, participants were generally supportive of MCE and were in favor of American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) having increased involvement in the CE process. They were concerned about travel distance to CE activities and preferred local offerings or those held at their place of employment. They placed importance on finding relevant CE activities that paralleled their area of practice and felt that their employer should assist with financing CE. Participants in both studies were also strongly opposed to re-examination as a potential re-licensure option. They also felt that CE should include evidence-based findings and that CE had the ability to promote professional competence. One area of discrepancy between Phase One and Two involved the use of the Internet for CE. Participants in Phase One appeared highly interested in this format, while those in Phase Two expressed decreased interest.
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign