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Introduction: The purpose of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) is to protect and prevent workers from being exposed to risks and hazards that are detrimental to their health and safety. For the past two years, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is one of the most significant occupational health outcomes to physical therapists (PTs) due to the nature of their work. However, minimal studies have been conducted about the experiences and OSH practices of PTs during the pandemic. This study aims to understand the experiences of clinical PTs in Metro Manila, Philippines during the pandemic. The study also seeks to explore the OSH practices and responses of PTs to presenting occupational risks and hazards through a qualitative descriptive study design. Methods: In this qualitative descriptive study, a maximum variation purposeful sampling method will be used in recruiting an estimated total of twelve (12) participants. A preliminary questionnaire would be disseminated via Google Forms to determine the eligibility of potential participants. Data will be gathered through a one-to-one semi-structured online interview, which will be transcribed verbatim and recorded with audio and video. Both manual coding and software-aided coding (NVivo) will be utilized in the data analysis. Emerging themes will be identified using thematic inductive analysis. Discussion: The results of the study may contribute to the formulation of better guidelines in handling infectious diseases even after quarantine restrictions are lifted. Furthermore, the findings will also provide the groundwork for the local body of knowledge in the Philippines and may serve as a future reference for research concerning OSH practices in physical therapy locally.

Introduction: The purpose of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) is to protect workers from risks and hazards detrimental to their health and safety. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19) is currently one of the most significant occupational health outcomes to physical therapists (PTs). However, minimal studies have been conducted on the experiences and OSH practices of PTs during the pandemic. This study, therefore, aims to understand the experiences of clinical PTs in Metro Manila, Philippines during the pandemic and to explore their OSH practices and responses to presenting occupational hazards. Methods: In this qualitative descriptive study, maximum variation purposeful sampling was used in recruiting 12 participants. Data was gathered through one-to-one semi-structured online interviews, which were transcribed verbatim and recorded with audio and video. Coding was done in Google Sheets during data analysis. Emerging themes were identified using thematic inductive analysis. Results: After identifying 98 codes through transcripts of the interviews, 3 themes emerged: Period of Uncertainty, Period of Adjustment, and Period of Hopeful Prospect. Discussion: The Period of Uncertainty describes the time of surges of COVID-19 cases and series of lockdowns with minimal established protocols resulting in the challenges in the delivery of services and to the overall well-being of physical therapists. The Period of Adjustment was initiated by nationwide vaccination programs resulting in strengthening of OSH protocols. The Period of Hopeful Prospect describes the implications of the situation to both the PTs and the profession. The OSH practices of PTs varied with each period as changes occurred to their overall perceptions towards the pandemic and their personal health and safety. Findings can be considered in future formulation of OSH guidelines for potential outbreaks of infectious diseases within the practice of physical therapy.

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