Medical knowledge and perceptions about physiotherapy for an interdisciplinary approach

Abstract

Introduction: The variety of activities that can be performed by a physiotherapist includes: health care, research, management, teaching and implementation of health policies. Unfortunately, the physicians´ knowledge about the involvement of the physiotherapist in these activities is precarious and therefore, so is the interdisciplinary teamwork. Objective: To describe the knowledge and perception that the medical residents of a third level hospital have about the activities and importance of interdisciplinary teamwork with physiotherapy. Method: This was an observational, descriptive and crosssectional study. A questionnaire of 12 items of multiple choice was built and applied to the pediatrics medical residents, medical genetics and pediatric fellowships, whom had to respond at least 80% of the questionnaire. The medical residents whose patients always received physiotherapy consult where excluded. Results: A total of 158 medical residents were included and the majority (77.8%) only knew about the health care activities of the physiotherapist. The 68% referred from 1 to 4 consultations per month to this professional. The majority of doctors acknowledged the capacity and independence of the physiotherapist to establish functional diagnosis but not treatments on their own (68%). More than a half (66.7%) of the medical residents pointed the necessity of patient rounds and clinical sessions with the physiotherapist as ways of learning. Conclusions: It would be advisable to increase the curriculum of the medical residents about the work field of the physiotherapist and the benefits of interdisciplinary teamwork.