Physiotherapists’ reported attitudes and perceived influences to their continuing professional development – results of an online questionnaire

Abstract

Introduction – There are intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence physiotherapists’ participation in continuing professional development (CPD). A number of benefits of and barriers to CPD participation are identified in the literature, but relatively little is known about factors that influence attitudes towards continued learning. The aim of this study was to identify factors influencing UK physiotherapists’ attitudes towards CPD, with a focus on career point and type of employment, in the context of motivational theories.
Methods – An online questionnaire consisting of likert style questions was used to collect data from UK physiotherapists. Nominal and ordinal data were analysed to determine differences between subgroups within the dataset.
Results – 205 physiotherapists completed the online questionnaire. Physiotherapists were generally internally motivated towards CPD, but attitudes were influenced by career point, and whether physiotherapists worked in the National Health Service (NHS) or in the private sector. External factors appeared to have a negative effect on motivation towards CPD.
Discussion – Differences in attitudes at different points on the career path suggests that organisational structure may impede lifelong learning at some stages in career progression, while differences between those working privately and in the NHS may potentially reflect organisational differences between these types of employment.
Implications for Practice – individual attitudes towards CPD are affected by a number of factors and employers should strive to encourage engagement, while recognising the different drivers within different types of employment and at different career points. By increasing physiotherapists’ engagement with CPD, patient experience of care and best practice will improve.