Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36356408›Full record

ArticleMusculoskeletal science & practice2022

Doing things you never imagined: Professional and ethical issues in the U.S. outpatient physical therapy setting during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rebecca Edgeworth Ditwiler, Laura Lee Swisher, Dustin Dean Hardwick

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Musculoskeletal science & practice, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Rebecca Edgeworth DitwilerSchool of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of South Florida, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA. Electronic address: redgewo1@usf.edu.
Laura Lee SwisherSchool of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of South Florida, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA.
Dustin Dean HardwickSchool of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of South Florida, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA; School of Physical Therapy, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, TX, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveDespite being the most prevalent physical therapy practice setting in the United States, no literature to date has examined the professional and ethical issues faced by outpatient physical therapists during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to explore professional and ethical issues experienced by outpatient physical therapists in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic.

designAn explorative semi-structured interview study using reflexive thematic analysis

methodsVirtual semi-structured interviews explored physical therapists' experiences during COVID-19 in the OP setting. Data was analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis as described by Braun and Clarke.

resultsRespondents worked predominantly with patients with orthopaedic impairments. Six primary themes and associated subthemes were identified: 1) Disruption of routine professional and personal life. 2) Negative impacts on health and wellbeing (physical, mental, and social). 3) Barriers to relationships, communication, and providing quality care. 4) Telehealth as a safe option to increase access with opportunities and challenges. 5) Discomfort practicing in an environment of misinformation, mistrust, and divisiveness. 6) New & pre-existing ethical issues in the COVID-19 context.

conclusionsResults of this study indicate that physical therapists in the outpatient setting wrestled with critical questions regarding outpatient physical therapy practice during the COVID-19 pandemic: the role of touch in professional identity, challenges to the therapeutic alliance, effect of productivity and fiscal expectations and whether outpatient physical therapy is essential during public emergencies.

Indexed as

COVID-19Physical TherapistsHumansOutpatientsPandemicsPhysical Therapy ModalitiesUnited StatesCOVID-19EthicsMusculoskeletalOutpatientPhysical therapyProfessionalismProfessional issues

Identifiers

PMID36356408
PMCPMC9617680

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.