Objective Physical therapists are well positioned to meet societal needs and reduce the global burden of noncommunicable diseases through the integration of evidence-based population health, prevention, health promotion, and wellness (PHPW) activities into practice. Little guidance exists regarding the specific PHPW competencies that entry-level clinicians ought to possess. The objective of this study was to establish consensus-based entry-level PHPW competencies for graduates of US-based physical therapist education programs. Methods In a 3-round modified Delphi study, a panel of experts (n = 37) informed the development of PHPW competencies for physical therapist professional education. The experts, including physical therapists representing diverse practice settings and geographical regions, assessed the relevance and clarity of 34 original competencies. Two criteria were used to establish consensus: a median score of 4 (very relevant) on a 5-point Likert scale, and 80% of participants perceiving the competency as very or extremely relevant. Results Twenty-five competencies achieved final consensus in 3 broad domains: preventive services and health promotion (n = 18); foundations of population health (n = 4); and health systems and policy (n = 3). Conclusions Adoption of the 25 accepted competencies would promote consistency across physical therapist education programs and help guide physical therapist educators as they seek to integrate PHPW content into professional curricula. Impact Statement This is the first study to establish consensus-based competencies in the areas of PHPW for physical therapist professional education in the United States. These competencies ought to guide educators who are considering including or expanding PHPW content in their curricula. Development of such competencies is critical as we seek to contribute to the amelioration of chronic disease and transform society to improve the human experience.

Although there was a mean increase in participation ≥1 year following TKR, participation restriction was common. The likelihood of low participation was increased among women, non-whites, and those with depressive symptoms, severe pain in either knee, or worse pre-TKR function.

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Objective Poor functional outcomes post knee replacement are common, but estimates of its prevalence vary, likely in part because of differences in methods used to assess function. The agreement between improvement in function and absolute good levels of function after knee replacement has not been evaluated. We evaluated the attainment of improvement in function and absolute good function after total knee replacement (TKR) and the agreement between these measures. Methods Using data from The Multicenter Osteoarthritis (MOST) Study, we determined the prevalence of achieving a minimal clinically important improvement (MCII, ≥ 14.2/68 point improvement) and Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS, ≤ 22/68 post-TKR score) on the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) Physical Function subscale at least 6 months after knee replacement. We also assessed the frequency of co-occurrence of the 2 outcomes, and the prevalence according to pre-knee replacement functional status. Results We included 228 subjects who had a knee replacement during followup (mean age 65 yrs, mean body mass index 33.4,73% female). Seventy-one percent attained the PASS for function after knee replacement, while only 44% attained the MCII. Of the subjects who met the MCII, 93% also attained the PASS; however, of subjects who did not meet the MCII, 54% still achieved a PASS. Baseline functional status was associated with attainment of each MCII and PASS. Conclusion There was only partial overlap between attainment of a good level of function and actually improving by an acceptable amount. Subjects were more likely to attain an acceptable level of function than to achieve a clinically important amount of improvement post knee replacement.

Objective Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) have increased in prevalence and are now responsible for the majority of the burden of disease. Aligning entry-level physical therapy education with these changing societal needs may position physical therapists to best address them. However, no comprehensive understanding of the practices and attitudes related to population health, prevention, health promotion, and wellness (PHPW) content among accredited United States (US) entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs has been established. This study aims to identify practices and attitudes related to PHPW content among accredited US entry-level DPT programs. Methods A mixed-methods cross-sectional design using an electronic survey was utilized. Program directors of each accredited DPT program were identified using an official CAPTE list and invited to ascertain the perceived importance of PHPW, describe the delivery of PHPW content, and identify factors that influence inclusion of PHPW content in entry-level US DPT programs. Results Individuals from 49% of 208 invited programs responded. Nearly all programs reported teaching prevention (96.1%), health promotion (95.1%), and wellness content (98.0%) while fewer reported teaching population health (78.4%). However, only 15% of PHPW topics were covered in depth. Facilitators and barriers to the delivery of PHPW content were reciprocal and included faculty with PHPW expertise, logistical flexibility and support, and the perceived importance of PHPW content. Conclusions The majority of entry-level US DPT programs are teaching PHPW content. Lack of trained faculty and lack of entry-level competencies hinder further integration of PHPW content into curricula. Impact The findings of this study highlight avenues for additional research to determine entry-level PHPW competencies and additional educational needs for faculty members.