Background & Aims

Therapeutic alliance (TA) is a contextual factor that has been shown to influence the adherence and effectiveness of rehabilitation of people with low back pain. However, the study of TA in physical therapy students is scarce. Additionally, it is unknown which factors could influence TA in physical therapy (PT) students. The objective of this research was to determine which variables predict the TA level of PT students during the care of standardized patients with chronic low back pain.

Methods

This analytical study included a group of seniors PT students. A single physical therapist who was not related to the research evaluated TA levels in the students through video recordings of a structured objective clinical examination on standardized patients with chronic low back pain. The dependent variable was TA measured through the Working Alliance Inventory Observational form (WAI-O) and its three dimensions: Bond, goals, and tasks. Effective communication (Communication assessment tool), academic stressors (Academic stressors scale), self-efficacy (Academic self-efficacy scale) and resilience (R-14 resilience scale) were considered as explanatory variables. A multiple linear correlation was performed with the Winsorized Pearson statistic. Simple linear regression models were built with the variables that showed significant correlation.

Results

Out of 69 students (23±2.07 years; 73.9% women; 26.1% men), the mean TA was 118 ± 13.83 points (P= 0.031) based on WAI-O. The dimensions of bond, goals, and tasks had means of 43.58 ± 4.89 (P=0.493), 37.91 ± 6.74 (P=0.389), and 37.35 ± 5.72 (P=0.25), respectively. Significant correlations were found between the bond dimension and effective communication (Rw =0.47), as well as between the goals dimension and academic stressors (Rw= -0.26). Effective communication significantly predicted the bond dimension (?=3.74; R2=0.24 P<0.001) and the academic stressors significantly predicted the TA goals dimension (?=-2.96; R2=0.09 P<0.014).

Conclusions

Effective communication and academic stressors can predict the levels of TA, specifically dimensions bond and goals of WAI-O, in PT students during a clinical intervention of standardized patients with chronic low back pain. Further research should explore additional factors influencing TA in PT students.

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Presenting Author

Iván Cuyul-Vásquez or Felipe Araya-Quintanilla

Poster Authors

Iván Cuyul-Vásquez, PT, MSc

BPT, MsC. PhD (C)

Dpto. de Procesos Terapéuticos, Facultad de Cs. de la salud. Universidad Católica de Temuco, Chile

Lead Author

E-mail

Hilda Aravena

BPT. MsC.

Facultad de Medicina, departamento de clínica, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile.

Lead Author

E-mail

Felipe Araya-Quintanilla

BPT

Escuela de Kinesiología, Facultad de Odontología y Ciencias de la Rehabilitación, Universidad San Se

Lead Author

E-mail

Felipe Ponce-Fuentes

BPT

Escuela de Kinesiología, Facultad de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Mayor, Temuco, Chi

Lead Author

E-mail

Jorge Fuentes

BPT. MsC. PhD.

Catholic University of Maule

Lead Author

E-mail

Topics

  • Education