Comparison of Preferences and Prospects according to Physical Therapy Work Experience and Field of Practice

The composition of physical therapists in hospitals consists of individuals with diverse experience ranging from 1 year to over 10 years in their field. Preferences and prospects towards various fields of physical therapy (PT) may differ based on generational gaps or work experience. Therefore, this study investigated preferences and prospects regarding different fields of the PT according to their work experience and field of practice. ninety-two physical therapists were participated by online survey (Google Forms, Google Inc., CA, USA) for this study. All participants were categorized into three groups according to their years of work experience and five groups according to their current fields of practice. The online survey investigated the preferences and future prospects regarding various fields of the PT as well as the reasons behind their choices, for each group. In preferences for different fields of PT according to work experience, PT for the musculoskeletal system was shown the highest preference and PT for the children and adolescents was shown the lowest preference in all three groups. Additionally, in preferences for different fields of PT according to the fields of practice, individuals tended to have the highest preference for the field they were currently employed excluding those working in PT for the nervous system. Regarding the prospect for different fields of PT according to field of practice, excluding physical therapists working in PT for the children and adolescents, the prospect score for PT for the children and adolescents was the lowest. The results of this study are expected to provide basic information on each field to physical therapists considering job changes or PT students. In addition, it is anticipated that this information could be utilized as foundational data in formulating policies related to PT.