Department of Physical Therapy Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Physical Therapy

Copyright Statement

All rights reserved. This publication is intended for use solely by faculty, students, and staff of Nova Southeastern University. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, now known or later developed, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author or the publisher.

First Advisor

Louie Puentedura

Date of original Performance / Presentation

January 2023

Publication Date / Copyright Date

1-1-2023

Abstract

Purpose: Educators have been advocating for the inclusion of modern pain science education in curricula, but its quality, quantity, and delivery have been questioned. The purpose of this dissertation study was twofold: (a) to investigate changes and relationships in the knowledge of pain neurophysiology, attitudes, beliefs, and clinical recommendations for chronic low back pain (CLBP) of entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students after completing a pain neuroscience education (PNE) telehealth simulation; and (b) to understand the students' experiences with PNE and the simulation. Methods: A mixed-methods QUAN->qual explanatory sequential design was used in this study. Students completed a pre-and post-PNE simulation questionnaire consisting of the Revised Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire (RNPQ), the Healthcare Providers’ Pain and Impairments Relationship Scale (HC-PAIRS), and a clinical vignette. The post-simulation questionnaire included the Simulation Effectiveness Tool Modified (SET-M). Four focus group interviews were conducted to explore student experiences. Qualitative data were analyzed using in-vivo coding and thematic content analysis. Findings from each component were integrated for convergence and expansion of the results. Participants: A total of 115 participants were included in the quantitative phase of the study. A subset of participants (n = 32) was also included in the qualitative phase of the study. Results: A statistically significant change in HC-PAIRS, RNPQ (p<0.01), and overall clinical vignette scores (p=.014) pre- and post-simulation was found. A Spearman’s rank correlation showed a weak positive and significant correlation (r =.155, p = .019) between the RNPQ and the HC-PAIRS. The correlation between the RNPQ and clinical vignette was significant and positive (r = .199, p =.03). The SET-M score post-simulation was 51.55. Four themes emerged from the data: (a) real-world but safe experience, (b) discomfort while embracing learning, (c) validation of the patient’s pain experience, and (d) the value of metaphors and analogies. Mixed methods integration revealed convergence expansion of findings between data sets. Conclusions: The study findings are consistent with recommendations that modern pain sciences concepts should include experiential learning. Further, the qualitative component and data integration provides more nuance in terms of “how” the simulation impacted outcomes and perceptions of participants, which quantitative outcomes alone cannot do.

Disciplines

Physical Therapy

Keywords

Pain neuroscience education; Simulation; Telehealth

Download
To access this thesis/dissertation you must have a valid nova.edu OR mynsu.nova.edu email address and create an account for NSUWorks.

Free My Thesis

If you are the author of this work and would like to grant permission to make it openly accessible to all, please click the Free My Thesis button.

  Contact Author

Share

 
COinS