Clinical Reasoning: Survey of Teaching Methods, Integration, and Assessment in Entry-Level Physical Therapist Academic Education

Abstract

Although clinical reasoning was explicitly integrated into program curricula, it was not consistently defined, taught, or assessed within or between the programs surveyed-resulting in significant variability in clinical reasoning education. These findings support the need for the development of best educational practices for clinical reasoning curricula and learning assessment.

Developing a framework for teaching clinical reasoning skills to undergraduate physiotherapy students: A Delphi study

“…To learn the multidimensional and complex nature of clinical reasoning, students need to gain a firm knowledge base, effective cognitive processes and the ability to monitor thinking processes (Ajjawi & Smith, 2010;Higgs & Jones, 2008). Critical thinking and clinical reasoning are developed at rates specific to the individual (Ajjawi & Smith, 2010;Christensen et al, 2017). Furthermore, development of these kinds of thinking is influenced by the individual beliefs, preferences and experiences of the students as well as of the various teachers and clinicians involved in their professional education (Christensen et al, 2017;Cruz, Moore, & Cross, 2012).…”

“…Critical thinking and clinical reasoning are developed at rates specific to the individual (Ajjawi & Smith, 2010;Christensen et al, 2017). Furthermore, development of these kinds of thinking is influenced by the individual beliefs, preferences and experiences of the students as well as of the various teachers and clinicians involved in their professional education (Christensen et al, 2017;Cruz, Moore, & Cross, 2012). Overall, health professional students need support to gain the ability to make autonomous decisions in ambiguous and complex contexts (Ajjawi & Smith, 2010).…”

“…A range of valid and reliable methods are used for teaching the concepts, principles, skills and knowledge required for clinical reasoning. Principles of clinical reasoning may be addressed explicitly in defined courses, lectures or other contexts as well as implicitly within the curriculum and in clinical practice (Christensen et al, 2017). Such teaching is embedded in lectures, practical laboratories and clinical practice in the physiotherapy programme.…”

“…There is wide variability in definitions and methods of teaching clinical reasoning across physiotherapy and other healthcare curricula, and a lack of consistency across programmes is common (Christensen et al, 2017;Gruppen, 2017;Huhn, Gilliland, Black, Wainwright, & Christensen, 2018). Traditionally, there has been differentiation between the fields of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, neurorehabilitation and musculoskeletal rehabilitation.…”

“…Traditionally, there has been differentiation between the fields of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, neurorehabilitation and musculoskeletal rehabilitation. While there are common principles for concepts of reasoning across these key areas of physiotherapy practice, each area may be taught using different models and terminology and with different teaching contexts (Christensen et al, 2017). There may also be differences between concepts used within classroom teaching and clinical settings.…”