Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists Toward Lifestyle Screening and Education: A Descriptive Study.

Introduction: Lifestyle-focused rehabilitation plans need to become part of the standard system of care for the treatment of chronic diseases. To achieve this goal, the KAP of rehabilitation professionals toward lifestyle medicine needs to be understood. This study investigated the niche of orthopedic manual physical therapy and is purposed as a foundational model for continued research.

Method: A survey instrument was designed to investigate the KAP of orthopedic manual physical therapists toward lifestyle screening and education.

Results: There were 155 participants of which 58.1-72.3% reported frequently talking to their patients about lifestyle topics, while 78.1-80.6% felt highly confident and competent while doing so. Additionally, 92.9-94.8% thought that lifestyle screening and education was important and that physical therapists should be doing it. Participants discussed exercise most frequently with their patients (96.1%) and alcohol the least (12.9%). Participants with advanced degrees (ie, PhD or DSc) had significantly higher Practice (M= -3.755, = .001) and Knowledge (M= -4.14904, = .020) ratings than those with entry-level physical therapy degrees.

Conclusion: There was strong acceptance of lifestyle screening and education in orthopedic manual physical therapy with an emphasis on exercise. This study provides a foundational basis for continued research.