A Study on Physical Therapists’ Awareness of Community-Based Integrated Care Systems

Purpose: This study evaluated the awareness of physical therapists of community-based integrated care policies and their relevance to their roles.Their perceptions of these policies were examined in light of government initiatives, and the need for improved integration within community care frameworks was identified.Methods: The study surveyed physical therapists from various healthcare settings using a convenience sampling method and collected data online from September 1 to September 21, 2019.Analysis with SPSS Statistics 23 included frequency analysis, one-way ANOVA with Sheffe post-hoc tests, and Chi-square tests, with a significance level set to 0.05.Results: Among 419 physical therapists, 51.1% were male, and 48.9% were female, with the majority holding a bachelor's degree and working in nursing hospitals.The average perception of community-integrated care was 3.21.2,with significant variations according to the workplace (p =0.003), significantly lower in clinics.The social admission rates also varied significantly according to the type (p=0.039), with differences in the reasons for admissions, such as convenience in hospitals and patient anxiety in clinics. Conclusion:The perception of the community care system among physical therapists was relatively low.Therefore, it is essential to provide therapists who frequently engage with patients with opportunities to deepen their understanding of national healthcare policies.Enhancing this understanding will better align their practices with central healthcare objectives and improve their integration within the system.