Metabolic Health Screening in Physical Therapy Private Practice in Australia: A Feasibility Study

Abstract

Importance. Noncommunicable diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Physical therapists working in private practice have an opportunity to embed health screening in their practice to support chronic disease prevention. However, it is not known if it is feasible to conduct health screenings in physical therapist private practice settings. Objective. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of physical therapists conducting client health screening with point-of-care testing. Design. This was a feasibility study, comprising of in-depth interviews and descriptive quantitative data. Setting. The health screenings took place in physical therapy private practices in Australia. The 1-to-1 interviews were conducted via phone, video conference, or face-to-face, according to participant preference. Participants. Two hundred and thirty adult clients participated in a health screen at a physical therapy practice. Follow-up interviews were completed with 20 clients and 8 physical therapists. Interventions. Clients had a 30-minute health screen that included collection of self-reported physical activity and dietary intake and physical examination of metabolic risk factors including waist circumference, blood pressure, and point-of-care testing of cholesterol and glucose. Main Outcomes and Measures. Using interpretative description methods and inductive thematic analysis, themes were identified from the interviews and then mapped deductively onto feasibility domains of acceptability, demand, implementation, practicality, and integration. Results. Three themes were identified. Clients perceived screening as convenient and comfortable; provided important health information; and could be part of usual physical therapy. Physical therapists saw health screening as a valuable add-on service and beneficial for client management but were uncertain about future integration. Conclusions and Relevance. Incorporating health screening into private practice physical therapy services is feasible and valued by clients but physical therapists were unsure how they could integrate this into their practice/business. Physical therapists working in private practice need additional training to incorporate health screening into their practice. Concurrently, funding models need to support this by prioritizing investment in health promotion and disease prevention.