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Mobilizing Knowledge in Physiotherapy: Critical Reflections on Foundations and Practices is a collection of 15 collaboratively written critical essays by 39 authors from 15 disciplines and seven countries. The book challenges some of the most important contemporary assumptions about physiotherapy knowledge, and makes the case for much more critical theory, practice, and education in physiotherapy health and social care. The book challenges the kinds of thinking that have traditionally bounded the profession and highlights the ways in which knowledge is now increasingly fluid, complex, and diffuse. The collection engages a range of critical social theories and interdisciplinary perspectives from within and without the profession. It includes sections focusing on evidence, practice, patient perspectives, embodiment, culture, diversity, digital worlds, and research methods. The book makes an important contribution to how we think about mobilizing knowledge, and it speaks to a diverse audience of academics, practitioners, educators, policy-makers, and students – both within physiotherapy and from a range of related health and social care disciplines. This book will be a useful reference for scholars interested in conceptions of professional knowledge and the theory of professional education and practice in physiotherapy and beyond.

Screenshot of interactive (freely available online) report of the survey results displaying relative numbers of practice-changing learning sources split by each identified self-reported highest physiotherapy education level, age group, number of therapists in primary workplace, gender, geographical location, learning style,and type of workplace. Other journals could follow in their areas of focus—as long as there were no financial conflicts.6 Costs of independent review could be shared by the publishers’1 and via an evaluation fee from those running the courses. Twitter @RodWhiteley, @runnerphysio, @NicolvanDyk, @DrChrisBarton, @KorakakisV Contributors RW: data collection, concept, outline of manuscript, writing and editing; CN: data collection, concept, outline of manuscript, writing and editing; CB: concept, outline of manuscript, writing and editing; NvD: data collection, content, writing, editing and revision of manuscript; TM: outline of manuscript, writing and editing; DB: data collection, concept, outline of manuscript, writing and editing; VK: data collection, concept, outline of manuscript, writing and editing.

Correspondence to Dr Nicola Phillips, Postgraduate Healthcare Studies, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF35 6BA, UK; phillipsn@cardiff.ac.uk From rookie to expert The quality of sport and exercise physiotherapy has risen dramatically in the last few decades. Novices often have technical knowledge and skill, acquired from their academic learning but lack experience on which to base their practice decisions.5 Conversely, an ability to ‘fit in’ without the underpinning knowledge and technical skill may initially seem appropriate for less experienced practitioners, but has inherent risks when more complex decision-making is required. Non-formal learning is often difficult for the individual to recall or detect and results in tacit knowledge generation.6 This is the ‘practical know how’ referred to when observing experts in action and is the characteristic sought by junior practitioners.

Twitter (now X) is a digital social network commonly used by health care professionals. Little is known about whether it helps health care professionals to share, mobilize, and cocreate knowledge or reduce the time between research knowledge being created and used in clinical practice (the evidence-to-practice gap). Musculoskeletal first contact physiotherapists (FCPs) are primary care specialists who diagnose and treat people with musculoskeletal conditions without needing to see their general practitioner (family physician) first. They often work as a sole FCP in practice; hence, they are an ideal health care professional group with whom to explore knowledge mobilization using Twitter. We aimed to explore how Twitter is and can be used to mobilize knowledge, including research findings, to inform FCPs' clinical practice. Semistructured interviews of FCPs with experience of working in English primary care were conducted. FCPs were purposively sampled based on employment arrangements and Twitter use. Recruitment was accomplished via known FCP networks and Twitter, supplemented by snowball sampling. Interviews were conducted digitally and used a topic guide exploring FCP's perceptions and experiences of accessing knowledge, via Twitter, for clinical practice. Data were analyzed thematically and informed by the knowledge mobilization mindlines model. Public contributors were involved throughout. In total, 19 FCPs consented to the interview (Twitter users, n=14 and female, n=9). Three themes were identified: (1) How Twitter meets the needs of FCPs, (2) Twitter and a journey of knowledge to support clinical practice, and (3) factors impeding knowledge sharing on Twitter. FCPs described needs relating to isolated working practices, time demands, and role uncertainty. Twitter provided rapid access to succinct knowledge, the opportunity to network, and peer reassurance regarding clinical cases, evidence, and policy. FCPs took a journey of knowledge exchange on Twitter, including scrolling for knowledge, filtering for credibility and adapting knowledge for in-service training and clinical practice. Participants engaged best with images and infographics. FCPs described misinformation, bias, echo chambers, unprofessionalism, hostility, privacy concerns and blurred personal boundaries as factors impeding knowledge sharing on Twitter. Consequently, many did not feel confident enough to actively participate on Twitter. This study explores how Twitter is and can be used to mobilize knowledge to inform FCP clinical practice. Twitter can meet the knowledge needs of FCPs through rapid access to succinct knowledge, networking opportunities, and professional reassurance. The journey of knowledge exchange from Twitter to clinical practice can be explained by considering the mindlines model, which describes how FCPs exchange knowledge in digital and offline contexts. Findings demonstrate that Twitter can be a useful adjunct to FCP practice, although several factors impede knowledge sharing on the platform. We recommend social media training and enhanced governance guidance from professional bodies to support the use of Twitter for knowledge mobilization.

Purpose Children with cancer require specific therapeutic guidance. Parents prefer physical therapy close to home, while pediatric physical therapists (PPTs) working in the community may lack specific knowledge. The aim of this study is to determine the needs of parents of children with cancer and PPTs to inform the design and development of a care network, named “KinderOncoNet.” Methods We explored the perspectives and needs of parents of children with cancer and PPTs in the community, and we investigated the added value that KinderOncoNet could offer. We used an iterative process; data collection consisted of (1) gathering information from parents of children with cancer and PPTs through a survey and (2) co-creation sessions with stakeholders. Results In total, 98 parents and 177 PPTs participated in the survey. Parents (97%) and PPTs (93%) indicated that the care network would bring added value. All but one parent stressed the importance of a local PPT being aware of both the condition and the side and late effects of oncological treatment. Moreover, 40% of PPTs thought they do not have sufficient knowledge to provide high-quality therapy and that they would embrace opportunities for education. Through the co-creation sessions, a prototype of the care network was conceptualized. Conclusion KinderOncoNet can contribute to the continuity and quality of physiotherapy care for children with cancer during and after the oncological treatment. Such a network would allow for sharing knowledge, developing skills, and improving accessibility and communication in the Netherlands.

Background For health professionals, gamification is a new teaching method that has achieved an important role in recent years, with excellent results in learning and knowledge acquisition. Thus, the objective of this study was to analyze the gaming experience through different gamification resources in the classroom with physiotherapy students. Methods A comparative study on gamification-based teaching resources was carried out during the first semester of the 2021–2022 academic year. A total of 33 physiotherapy students participated in this study. After the theoretical topics were taught, the participants were invited to participate in different gamification resources such as Kahoot!, Physiotherapy Party and Escape Room. The gaming experience with the different gamification resources was measured with the GAMEX scale. Results The Physiotherapy Party showed a higher score in relation to the enjoyment dimension compared to the Kahoot! and Escape Room (p = 0.004). The Escape Room presented higher scores in absorption, creative thinking, activation and dominance compared to Kahoot! and Physiotherapy Party (p < 0.005). Conclusions Gamification resources promote enjoyment and creativity in the students in the classroom. The use of new teaching methods based on gamification, such as Escape Room as Physiotherapy Party should be considered as first choice in the use of gamification resources due to the benefits they bring to students.

Objective Frozen Shoulder (FS) is a musculoskeletal pathology that leads to disability, functional decline, and a worsening in quality of life. Physiotherapists are the primary professionals involved in the treatment of FS, and it is essential to determine if their practice aligns with evidence-based suggestions. Aim The aim is to assess the knowledge, skills, and operational strategies of Italian physiotherapists regarding FS and compare them with the existing literature. Methods A web-based, anonymous, and voluntary cross-sectional survey was developed and administered to Italian physiotherapists to evaluate their clinical practices. Results A total of 501 physiotherapists (38.5% female), completed the survey. More than half were under 35 years old (67.8%), declared working in private practice settings or being self-employed (57.1%), and were primarily engaged with musculoskeletal patients (81.8%). For subjects with FS at their first access, 21.4% identified X-rays as the most useful imaging technique to recognize pathologies beyond rehabilitation competence. In terms of general management, the majority reported working with an orthopaedic or physiatrist (47.5%) or in a multidisciplinary team (33.5%). Regarding manual therapy techniques, 63.3% of physiotherapists preferred intense degree mobilization, posterior direction, and moderate pain at the end of the range of motion for low irritable/high stiffness FS; however, there is a lack of consensus for managing very irritable/low stiffness FS. The majority of physiotherapists (57.7%) concurred that stretching improves the balance between metalloproteinase and its inhibitors. Additionally, 48.3% of physiotherapists selected mobile phone videos and messages to improve patients’ compliance with exercises at home and for motivational/educational purposes. Discussion and Conclusion The clinical practices of Italian physiotherapists in FS subjects sometimes deviate from evidence-based recommendations. While some discrepancies may be attributed to the existing uncertainties in the literature regarding knowledge and management strategies for FS patients, the authors recommend a stronger adherence to evidence-based practice. Implications of Physiotherapy Practice Italian PTs’ clinical practices in FS rehabilitation show partial alignment with evidence-based recommendations, particularly in the areas of diagnostic imaging suggestions and clinical assessment. Italian PTs’ clinical practices exhibit partial adherence to evidence-based suggestions regarding the identification of predisposing factors, staging education, and mobilization modalities in FS cases. Italian PTs with Orthopaedic Manipulative Physical Therapists (OMPT) certification, those possessing clinical experience ranging from 6 to 10 years, and individuals working in private practice demonstrate greater appropriateness in terms of knowledge, competence, and adherence to evidence-based clinical practices for FS rehabilitation.

Purpose This study aims to investigate the role of consumers’ (patients) motives in knowledge sharing and value co-creation with the service provider in the context of physiotherapy services. Design/methodology/approach The authors used partial least squares structural equation modeling for the analysis of the physiotherapy services users’ data from Germany and Pakistan. Findings The results show that in both consumer groups, individualizing, empowering and development motives are common influences on the willingness to share knowledge leading to value co-creation. However, the relating, ethical and concerted motives show varying influences in the data set. Research limitations/implications A key research implication relates to specifying the link between consumer knowledge sharing and value creation and the role of cultural factors in this context. It is one of the first studies to undertake a comparative analysis in this specific context by highlighting the changing role of consumers from collective and individualistic societies, in influencing service provision through participation in the service exchange. Practical implications For the managerial audience, this paper highlights the importance of being sensitive to cultural elements as they tend to influence personal knowledge sharing by the consumer, especially in the well-being sector, which ultimately influences the value co-creation. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the current paper is one of the first studies focusing on the knowledge sharing motives of consumers in the specific context of physiotherapy services leading to value co-creation. Moreover, specific focus on individual consumer’s motives and their role in comparative, cross-cultural settings, adds further value to the contribution of this study.

Determine physiotherapists’ (i) awareness of physical activity, and exercise prescription guidelines; (ii) perceived role, knowledge, confidence, skills and training in prescribing and progressing aerobic exercise and resistance training to people with musculoskeletal pain; (iii) professional development preferences; and (iv) perceived influences of external factors on exercise prescription for people with musculoskeletal pain. Multi-national cross-sectional survey. An open online survey was developed specifically for this study. 1,352 physiotherapists from 56 countries participated. The majority of respondents correctly stated physical activity guidelines for adults (60%) and children (53%), but only 37% correctly stated guidelines for older adults. Eleven percent and 16% could name an accepted guideline for aerobic exercise and resistance training, respectively. Most agreed their role included prescribing aerobic exercise (75%) and resistance training (89%). Fewer reported they had the confidence, training or skills to prescribe aerobic exercise (38–50%) and resistance training (49–70%). Workshops were the most preferred (44%) professional development option. Most respondents believed appointment scheduling and access to equipment and professional development (62–79%) affected their ability to prescribe effective exercise. Many physiotherapists lack knowledge and training to provide physical activity advice, and to prescribe aerobic exercise and resistance training to people with musculoskeletal pain. •Most (75-89%) physiotherapists agreed their role involves aerobic exercise and resistance training prescription.•Fewer reported they had the confidence, training, or skills to prescribe aerobic exercise and resistance training (38-67%).•Physical activity guidelines for adults and children were correctly stated by 60% and 53% of respondents, respectively.•Very few respondents were able to name an accepted guideline for aerobic exercise (11%) and resistance training (21%).•Most respondents (79%) believed opportunity for professional development affected their ability to prescribe exercise.

In 2020, our group published physiotherapy clinical practice guidelines (CPG) for people with Huntington’s disease (HD). The guideline recommendations were categorized according to six primary movement impairment classifications. To facilitate implementation of this CPG and knowledge translation, we have developed decision algorithms for physiotherapy assessments and interventions, including recommendations for therapists to overcome barriers to CPG implementation for people with HD. We conducted a literature review of papers that evaluated physiotherapy interventions in individuals with HD (n=26) to identify assessments for each of the primary movement impairment classifications, and then searched for papers (n=28) that reported their clinometric/psychometric properties in HD. Assessments were evaluated using modified Movement Disorder Society Committee on Rating Scales criteria and other relevant criteria. We identified a ‘core set’ of physiotherapy assessments for persons with HD, including the Six Minute Walk Test, Timed Up and Go Test, Berg Balance Scale, and the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 (SF-36). We then developed guideline-based decision trees to assist in decision making and implementation of the CPG into practice for persons with HD across the continuum of care. Finally, we developed strategies for overcoming barriers to implementation, such as seeking specialized training in HD, engaging caretakers or family members to help the person with HD exercise and establishing clinical pathways that support early PT referrals. Knowledge translation documents are essential to promoting implementation of the physiotherapy CPG for persons with HD into clinical practice.