부산대학교 도서관

Background and Purpose: We implemented the 'Physical Therapy Education Improvement and Standards Establishment Program' entrusted by the Taiwan Physical Therapy Association, Medical Education Committee of the Ministry of Education, R.O.C. The contents and the guidelines (including course credits, course hours, and course category) of the musculoskeletal physical therapy education were provided. Method: Physical therapy schools in Taiwan were included to explore the course relevant to musculoskeletal physical therapy. The course was classified into seven course categories (i.e., two basic-course categories, and five advanced-course categories). The course credits and hours of each course category were compared among three academic programs (i.e., four-year programs, five-year programs, and six-year programs), and also compared among 15 physiotherapy schools. For assessing the course competency level of the advanced-course category, the Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) questionnaire was used to assess the learners' performance, especially in clinical skills. Results: A total of 15 physiotherapy schools (including ten four-year programs, three five-year programs, and two six-year programs) were included in this study. The average course credits and hours in the six-year program are the highest among the three different academic programs. The course credits and hours of the 'Basic Life Science' category were 25.0 ± 8.5 and 29.0 ± 5.7, respectively. The course credits and hours of the 'Basic Medicine' category were 7.0 ± 1.4 and 7.0 ± 1.4 respectively. The course credits and hours of the 'Advanced Musculoskeletal Medicine' category were 6.0 ± 0.0 and 6.0 ± 0.0 respectively. The course credits and hours of the 'Musculoskeletal Therapeutics' category were 29.5 ± 9.2 and 41.5 ± 14.8, respectively. As the results of EPAs, the course competency level of the 'Clinical Practice' category in the advanced course category was the highest in all of the academic programs compared to the other course categories. Conclusion: Our study reported the recommendation for physical therapy schools in Taiwan to make a decision about the academic program. We can concluded that 'Anatomy,' 'Kinesiology', 'Physiology', 'Therapeutics,' and 'Assessment and Clinical Diagnosis' were the crucial required subjects to establish core ability. According to the analysis based on academic systems, it was indicated both four-year and five-year program having the fewer average course credits and hours on 'Advanced Musculoskeletal Medicine.' Furthermore, considering the EPAs results, it was suggested that 'Clinical Practice' category should be included in the musculoskeletal physical therapy education as an advanced course.