TY - JOUR
T1 - Administration and management skills needed by physical therapist graduates in 2010
T2 - A national survey
AU - Schafer, D. Sue
AU - Lopopolo, Rosalie B.
AU - Luedtke-Hoffmann, Kathleen A.
PY - 2007/3
Y1 - 2007/3
N2 - Background and Purpose: Administration and management (A&M) skills are essential to physical therapist practice. This study identified which A&M skills will be most critical for future Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) graduates to possess upon entry into clinical practice. Subjects and Methods: Using a 7-point scale, 435 randomly selected American Physical Therapy Association members (physical therapists) rated 121 A&M skills based on expectation of the level of independence required by a new DPT graduate. Results: No differences among respondents based on role, work setting, or experience were found, so the data were combined for factor analyses, producing 16 A&M skill groups. The most independence was expected in skills related to self-management, compli-ance with rules, ethical behavior, and insurance coding. Skills requiring the most assistance were marketing and strategic planning, financial analysis and budgeting, and environmental assessment. Discussion and Conclusion: This study has identified the level of independence for the A&M skills needed by new DPT graduates, provided empirical evidence suggesting which A&M skills should be included in DPT curricula, and suggested a pattern of A&M skill acquisition that applies first to the new therapist and the patient, then to the organization, and finally to the health care environment.
AB - Background and Purpose: Administration and management (A&M) skills are essential to physical therapist practice. This study identified which A&M skills will be most critical for future Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) graduates to possess upon entry into clinical practice. Subjects and Methods: Using a 7-point scale, 435 randomly selected American Physical Therapy Association members (physical therapists) rated 121 A&M skills based on expectation of the level of independence required by a new DPT graduate. Results: No differences among respondents based on role, work setting, or experience were found, so the data were combined for factor analyses, producing 16 A&M skill groups. The most independence was expected in skills related to self-management, compli-ance with rules, ethical behavior, and insurance coding. Skills requiring the most assistance were marketing and strategic planning, financial analysis and budgeting, and environmental assessment. Discussion and Conclusion: This study has identified the level of independence for the A&M skills needed by new DPT graduates, provided empirical evidence suggesting which A&M skills should be included in DPT curricula, and suggested a pattern of A&M skill acquisition that applies first to the new therapist and the patient, then to the organization, and finally to the health care environment.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33847363931&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2522/ptj.20060003
DO - 10.2522/ptj.20060003
M3 - Article
C2 - 17284547
AN - SCOPUS:33847363931
SN - 0031-9023
VL - 87
SP - 261
EP - 281
JO - Physical Therapy
JF - Physical Therapy
IS - 3
ER -