Impact of Education on the Compliance of Nepalese Physical Therapists with Knee Osteoarthritis Clinical Practice Guidelines

Abstract

Background: Even though knee osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most disabling diseases, it shows that physical therapists in Nepal were not using the clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for musculoskeletal issues in a quality manner. Evidence-based practice (EBP) has been integrated into the teaching and learning process from the undergraduate level in Nepal however, its inclusion in the curriculum at the university level does not guarantee its practical application. A prior study conducted in Nepal implied that although physical therapists with bachelor's degrees could possess the necessary understanding of evidence search, they might not have sufficient practical skills to put that knowledge to use. Therefore, the study's goal was to investigate how education impacts Nepalese physical therapists’ compliance with knee OA CPGs. Method: The survey recorded demographic data and assessed how physical therapists adhered to the CPGs and the most recent evidence. The survey questionnaire was validated by experts and was pretested by five physical therapists to ensure it was relevant and easy to understand. Result: A total of 177 physical therapists responded to the questionnaire. According to the findings, physical therapists with a bachelor's degree complied with 6 out of 15 knee OA CPG statements, compared to those with a master's degree who complied with 5 out of 15 statements. Except for statement 9, a study revealed negligible differences in the groups' compliance to the knee OA CPGs. Conclusion: Both groups showed low compliance to knee OA CPGs, and there was no significant difference in compliance between groups, suggesting that higher education had no bearing on physical therapists' compliance with treatment recommendations. The result of this study may urge physical therapists to consider whether they are following knee OA CPGs and recent evidence in the treatment of patients with knee OA.