The influence of pre-professional curricula on components of the Physical Therapist Clinical Performance Instrument

Background and Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate any association between pre-enrollment curricula and clinical performance in physical therapy professional schools. Specifically, does the type of undergraduate institution (as defined by Carnegie classification type) influence performance on components of the Physical Therapist Clinical Performance Instrument? Methods: The study methods include a retrospective quantitative review of student educational records from the Duke Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) classes of 2013 to present. Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to determine significance of the dependent variables. Results: Results indicated that when the Carnegie Classifications were consolidated to five categories, there was only a significant difference in score for one of the 108 possible scales in the CPI (Professional Behavior, Final 3). Students who attended an undergraduate institution with a professional focus (category 5) scored significantly (p=.033) higher on this Professional Behavior scale than did students who attended an undergraduate institution with an arts and sciences focus (category 1). When the Carnegie Classifications were consolidated to four categories, two scales showed significant results (Professional Behavior, Final 3; Accountability, Final 3). Conclusions: The study fails to confirm the hypothesis that the type of undergraduate institution influences performance on components of the Physical Therapist Clinical Performance Instrument. There is virtually no difference on clinical performance based on undergraduate institution type.

Validation of the Revised Physical Therapist Clinical Performance Instrument (PT CPI): Version 2006

Background Based on changes in core physical therapy documents and problems with the earlier version, the Physical Therapist Clinical Performance Instrument (PT CPI): Version 1997 was revised to create the PT CPI: Version 2006. Objective The purpose of this study was to validate the PT CPI: Version 2006 for use with physical therapist students as a measure of clinical performance. Design This was a combined cross-sectional and prospective study. Methods A convenience sample of physical therapist students from the United States and Canada participated in this study. The PT CPI: Version 2006 was used to collect CPI item–level data from the clinical instructor about student performance at midterm and final evaluation periods in the clinical internship. Midterm evaluation data were collected from 196 students, and final evaluation data were collected from 171 students. The students who participated in the study had a mean age of 24.8 years (SD=2.3, range=21–41). Sixty-seven percent of the participants were from programs in the United States, and 33% were from Canada. Results The PT CPI: Version 2006 demonstrated good internal consistency, and factor analysis with varimax rotation produced a 3-factor solution explaining 94% of the variance. Construct validity was supported by differences in CPI item scores between students on early compared with final clinical experiences. Validity also was supported by significant score changes from midterm to final evaluations for students on both early and final internships and by fair to moderate correlations between prior clinical experience and remaining course work. Limitations This study did not examine rater reliability. Conclusion The results support the PT CPI: Version 2006 as a valid measure of physical therapist student clinical performance.

Emotional Intelligence as a Predictor for Clinical Performance in Professional Physical Therapy Students

Background and Purpose. The purpose of the admission process in the graduate physical therapy (PT) program is to evaluate information that can predict an individual’s potential for success in the program. To date there is no reliable way to predict clinical performance of physical therapy students. Emotional intelligence has been shown to predict clinical performance in other medical professions and may be a predictor for clinical performance in PT. Generic abilities of clinical performance are critically important in the PT profession and are evaluated using the Clinical Performance Instrument (CPI). This study examined the relationship between clinical performance and emotional intelligence. Subjects. Fifty-six graduate physical therapy students (46 female, 10 male) between the ages of 23 to 38 years (25.7 + 3.6 years) from four Eastern Massachusetts schools participated. Methods. Clinical Performance Instrument (CPI) scores (version 4), the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT version 2.0)scores, Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores, pre-requisite grade point averages (GPAs) and demographic information were collected. Results. Total CPI score (R2 = 0.36, p <0.02) and scores on individual items of Professional behavior (R2 = 0.31), Performing Interventions (R2 = 0.35, p < 0.04) and Performing an Examination (R2 = 0.28) were not significantly related to emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence was not significantly related to GRE scores (r =.14, p = 0.31) or pre-requisite school GPA (r = 0.10, p = 0.46). Discussion and Conclusion. Within the limitations of this research, the MSCEIT did not prove to be a successful predictor either by itself or in combination with other variables in predicting CPI performance. Future work with emotional intelligence surveys as predictors of CPI performance should start with examining those who pass the clinical experience part of the PT program compared to those who do not. After understanding the relationship between success and failure on the CPI, an examination of those that score high on the CPI versus those that merely pass could be studied.