Assessment and management of risk factors for the prevention of lifestyle-related disease: a cross-sectional survey of current activities, barriers and perceived training needs of primary care physiotherapists in the Republic of Ireland

The delivery of health improvement information during radiotherapy treatment: a survey of UK therapy radiographers

“…The development of undergraduate education must be supported with continuous professional development to support the post registration workforce. Physiotherapists 13 and dieticians 15 report that training received in departments is limited in some areas of health improvement, supporting the findings of this study in which radiographers have identified training needs as a barrier to provision. The recent RSPH publication 9 identified that less than 50% of the participants had received training base, less than 20% of this was received in the preregistration academic setting and over 30% received in the workplace or through postgraduate training.…”

The validity and reliability of the Healthy Lifestyle Screening Tool

“…Low level of physical activity was the most common risk factor that emerged during the initial and follow-up visits. However, O'Donoghue et al [11] have posited that physical therapists should also consider dietary status, smoking, and alcohol consumption as possible risk factors.…”

“…Most patients believe that it is necessary for them to have a therapeutic relationship with physical therapists and to speak to them about a HL. Moreover, they consider physical therapists to be their role models since they promote the health and wellbeing of their patients through exercise prescription [11]. Patients also believe that Original Article physical therapists should advise them about various personal health-related behaviors.…”

“…Individual physical activity levels, which comprise of the patient's dietary status and other unhealthy behaviors, should be assessed during the first and follow-up visits. However, HL related factors have not been assessed primarily due to the following reasons: lack of time, limited knowledge and expertise, traditional beliefs about the physical therapist's role (i.e., that assessing HR-related factors is not a physical therapist's responsibility), and patients' lack of interest in changing their unhealthy lifestyles [11]. Additionally, whereas physical therapists in the community rely heavily on their tacit and professional subject-matter knowledge, they often ironically believe that these skills do not pertain to physical therapy [9].…”

Physical activity and physiotherapy: moving forwards

“…A lack of time is identified as a barrier in a number of studies (Shirley, van der Ploeg and Bauman, 2010;Aweto et al, 2013;Walkeden and Walker, 2015). A lack of perceived patient interest and feelings that PA promotion is not acceptable to patients were both reported as barriers to PA promotion (O'Donoghue et al, 2014;Soundy et al, 2014;Walkeden and Walker, 2015). In addition, a lack of belief by clinicians in the effectiveness of PA interventions was identified (Shirley, van der Ploeg and Bauman, 2010;Walkeden and Walker, 2015).…”