Digital Entry-Level Education in Physiotherapy: a Commentary to Inform Post-COVID-19 Future Directions

Giacomo Rossettini; Andrea Turolla; Bjorg Gudjonsdottir; Eleni Kapreli; Beate Salchinger; Geert Verheyden; Alvisa Palese; Andrea Dell'Isola; John Xerri de Caro

doi:10.1007/s40670-021-01439-z

Digital Entry-Level Education in Physiotherapy: a Commentary to Inform Post-COVID-19 Future Directions

Med Sci Educ. 2021 Nov 4;31(6):2071-2083. doi: 10.1007/s40670-021-01439-z. eCollection 2021 Dec.

Authors

Giacomo Rossettini¹, Andrea Turolla², Bjorg Gudjonsdottir³, Eleni Kapreli⁴, Beate Salchinger⁵, Geert Verheyden⁶, Alvisa Palese⁷, Andrea Dell'Isola^{8

9}, John Xerri de Caro¹⁰

Affiliations

¹ School of Physiotherapy, University of Verona, Via Bengasi 4, 37134 Verona, Italy.
² Laboratory of Rehabilitation Technologies, San Camillo IRCCS Srl, Via Alberoni 70, 30126 Venice, Italy.
³ Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Stapi At Hringbraut, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland.
⁴ Department of Physiotherapy, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, 3rd km Old National Road Lamia-Athen, 35100 Lamia, Greece.
⁵ Institute of Physiotherapy, FH JOANNEUM, Eggenberger Allee 13, 8020 Graz, Austria.
⁶ Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, University of Leuven, Tervuursevest 101, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
⁷ Department of Medical Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Udine, Viale Ungheria 20, 33100 Udine, Italy.
⁸ Department of Clinical Sciences Orthopaedic, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Entrégatan 8, 22100 Lund, Sweden.
⁹ Department of Clinical Sciences Orthopaedics, Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
¹⁰ Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Malta, Triq Dun Karm, L-Imsida, Msida, 2090 MSD Malta.

Abstract

Currently, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severely influences physiotherapy education which is based mostly on face-to-face teaching. Thus, educators have been compelled to adapt their pedagogical approaches moving to digital education. In this commentary, we debate on digital education highlighting its effectiveness, the users' perspectives, and its weakness in the context of physiotherapy teaching aimed at informing post-COVID-19 future directions in this educational field. Existing evidence on digital education produced before COVID-19 supports its implementation into entry-level physiotherapy education. However, some challenges (e.g. social inequality and evaluation of students) threaten its applicability in post-COVID-19 era, calling educators to take appropriate actions.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus disease 2019; Digital education; Entry-level; Physiotherapy; Student.

Publication types

Editorial