Chesser Brianna T, Keyes Kristen D, Misiak Maddison G, Reed Kaitlyn L, Hoogenboom Barbara J
Department of Physical Therapy & Athletic Training, Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, MI USA.
Med Sci Educ. 2024 Dec 5;35(2):755-765. doi: 10.1007/s40670-024-02230-6. eCollection 2025 Apr.
Addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in physical therapy practice is essential to providing patient-centered care. Studies within the literature seeking to better understand healthcare students' perceptions and abilities surrounding DEI are represented across multiple disciplines. Findings suggest that students value diverse patient experiences, hands-on learning, clinical education, and cultural immersion. Research addressing Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students' perceptions of readiness to address DEI issues is lacking. The purpose of this retrospective qualitative study was to discover students' perceptions of factors contributing to DEI awareness and ability to address DEI issues upon completing a DPT program.
Students from 2010 to 2020 graduating cohorts of a DPT program participated in semi-structured group exit interviews. Interviews were anonymized and transcribed verbatim. Data were coded, themed, and analyzed using the Giorgi method.
Two overarching themes and five subthemes emerged. The first theme was , with three subthemes: targeted curricular content, extracurricular experiential learning, and DPT program demographics. The second theme was , with two subthemes: inherent beliefs and acquired beliefs.
Consistent with the literature, students described exposure to diversity through didactic instruction, clinical immersion, structured discussions, and extracurricular events as beneficial. Personal characteristics, including inherent and acquired beliefs, were also reported to play a role.
Factors such as teaching methods, mode of content delivery, and demographics of individuals in the learning environment should be considered in future efforts to effectively prepare students to address DEI issues and advance health equity.
在物理治疗实践中关注多样性、公平性和包容性（DEI）对于提供以患者为中心的护理至关重要。文献中的研究旨在更好地理解医学生对DEI的认知和能力，涉及多个学科。研究结果表明，学生重视多样化的患者体验、实践学习、临床教育和文化沉浸。针对物理治疗博士（DPT）学生应对DEI问题的准备情况的研究尚属空白。这项回顾性定性研究的目的是了解学生对完成DPT课程后有助于提高DEI意识和应对DEI问题能力的因素的看法。
2010年至2020年DPT项目毕业班级的学生参加了半结构化的小组结业访谈。访谈进行了匿名处理，并逐字记录。使用 Giorgi 方法对数据进行编码、主题化和分析。
出现了两个总体主题和五个子主题。第一个主题是 ，有三个子主题：针对性的课程内容、课外实践学习和DPT项目的人口统计学特征。第二个主题是 ，有两个子主题：固有信念和习得信念。
与文献一致，学生们认为通过理论教学、临床实习、结构化讨论和课外活动接触多样性是有益的。个人特征，包括固有信念和习得信念，也被认为起到了一定作用。
在未来的工作中，应考虑教学方法、内容传递方式以及学习环境中个体的人口统计学特征等因素，以便有效地让学生做好应对DEI问题和促进健康公平的准备。
