Clients and conditions encountered by final year physiotherapy students in private practice. A retrospective analysis

Abstract

Currently little is known about the clients and conditions final-year physiotherapy students are exposed to in private practice settings. The aim of this study is to describe the clients and conditions encountered by final-year physiotherapy students during a six-week full-time private practice clinical placement. Client data of conditions were collected over 11 years (2008–2018) from final year physiotherapy students’ client reports in a university clinic, Christchurch, New Zealand. Data for anatomical site and pathology were categorized using the Orchards Sports Injury Classification System 10 and descriptive analyses completed. Students saw a mean of 22 (SD 5) unique clients. The anatomical sites most encountered were the shoulder (97.4% of students), lumbar spine (96.3%), knee (95.8%) and ankle (91.2%). The pathologies most encountered were joint sprain (100%), muscle injury (90%), and tendon injury (88.4%). While final year physiotherapy students are exposed to a substantial number of clients encompassing major regions and condition types, this exposure is limited in scope. The findings offer a basis for discussion about what clinical exposure to clients and conditions might best support the transition from physiotherapy student to new graduate in private practice settings.