Knowledge And Attitudes Regarding The Role Of Physiotherapists In Multidisciplinary Healthcare Amongst Medical And Allied Health Science Students: A Questionnaire-Based Cross Sectional Study

ABSTRACT Background: Physiotherapists are crucial members of multidisciplinary healthcare teams contributing to rehabilitation, diagnosis support and overall patient management. However, there is a lack of clarity amongst the healthcare professionals regarding the scope of physiotherapy practice. Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted with 210 undergraduate medical and allied health science students from a single institution through one-on-one interviews. The questionnaire consisted of 13 items covering physiotherapy autonomy, interdisciplinary collaboration, treatment domains, and general perceptions. Results:This study found that respondents were having moderately positive attitudes and mild to moderate level of knowledge towards the role of physiotherapists in the multidisciplinary healthcare team. Discussion:This study was conducted to find out the knowledge and attitudes regarding the role of physiotherapist as a multidisciplinary team member amongst the university medical and allied health science students. Limited sample size is the main limitation of the study. More reliable questionnaire could be used. Multicentric studies can be conducted in future. Conclusion:This study concluded that there exists lack of awareness and knowledge despite having positive attitude towards this treatment method. Keywords:Physiotherapy, Medical Students, Interprofessional Healthcare, KAP Study, Clinical Awareness