Fostering Future Professional Contemporary Collaboration

Authors

Rene'e M. Huth, Radford UniversityFollow
Jordan M. Tucker, Virginia Western Community CollegeFollow

Abstract

Collaborative teamwork needs to be fostered early and often to meet contemporary practice ideals. This qualitative phenomenological designed study’s purpose was to investigate student physical therapists (SPTs) and student physical therapist assistants' (SPTAs) perceptions of an intraprofessional online activity reflective of contemporary home health and telehealth settings. A convenience sample of 25 SPTs from one program and 24 SPTAs from another program met synchronously online to view a video case of an ambulatory patient with dementia, develop a plan of care, and discuss appropriate interventions reflective of practice in Virginia. Following interactions, students wrote reflections on their experiences that were analyzed using Word Clouds. This experience allowed SPTs/SPTAs to practice their respective roles and responsibilities as future PT/PTAs, including communication, critical thinking, evaluation, exercises, and treatment. Overarching goals were met. Conducting this simulated experience online allowed students to collaborate mitigating cost barriers in travel, time to complete, and the need for in-person meeting space. Students were able to integrate APTA core values in a safe and practical learning experience. The authors plan to adapt this activity considering student feedback and realigning objectives with the 2024 Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education criteria.

Author Bio(s)

Renée Huth, PT, DPT, PhD, a Fellow of the APTA of Higher Education Leadership, serves as the Director of Clinical Education of the Radford University Doctor of Physical Therapy program. Her teaching and scholarship focus on developing empathetic, team-oriented, and patient-centered providers, with a most recent interprofessional collaborative presentation at ACRM fall 2023.

Jordan Tucker, PT, DPT, EdD currently serves as the Program Director of the Virginia Western Physical Therapist Assistant program. She has a background working with patients with neurological diagnoses. She is actively involved with Vestibular Disorders Association and the APTA Academy of Education’s Physical Therapist Assistant Education Special Interest Group.

Acknowledgements

Declaration of Interest statement Ethical approval was granted by Radford University, Approval number, 2022-064-RU. The study was exempt from NHS ethical review. Please note that all authors have contributed equitably to this manuscript. This manuscript is not under review elsewhere and has not been previously published.

Recommended Citation

Huth RM, Tucker JM. Fostering Future Professional Contemporary Collaboration. The Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice. 2025 Jan 17;23(1), Article 20.