RECENT PHYSIOTHERAPY GRADUATES' PERSPECTIVES ON THE CURRICULUM CONTENT OF ELECTROTHERAPY AT THE UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL

Abstract

A branch of physiotherapy, electrotherapy is another one that is developing at a quick pace. The curriculum needs to be reviewed and updated often so that it can keep up with changes. There are many parts to the programme, and their timing and content can vary. This research set out to determine how graduate students felt about the electrotherapy programme in terms of its structure, methods of instruction, and opportunities for hands-on experience in the field. The present electrotherapy curriculum can be more thoroughly evaluated with the use of this data. Students who earned their Bachelor of Physical Therapy degrees between 2021 and 2023 were the subjects of a cross-sectional survey. Using a validated questionnaire, the data was gathered. Statistical analysis was carried out using Microsoft Excel after the data was collected and arranged. The findings showed that most people were interested in learning more about electrotherapy and various forms of electrodiagnosis. Nearly half of the students surveyed were unhappy with how well the material covered in the third and fourth years of the programme prepared them for clinical practice. The applicability of third-year course material to clinical practice was questioned by 20% of respondents. Basic topics covered in training for new practitioners were paraffin wax bath, ultrasound, cryotherapy, SWD, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), hot packs, intermittent electrical stimulation (IFT), iontophoresis (NCS), electromyography (EMG), direct current (DC), and neurocardiography (NCS). Biofeedback and laser therapy were considered moderately important, while IR, UVR, and microcurrent were considered unimportant.