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. 2013 Summer;65(3):289-99.
doi: 10.3138/ptc.2012-30BC.

Usage Patterns and Beliefs about Therapeutic Ultrasound by Canadian Physical Therapists: An Exploratory Population-Based Cross-Sectional Survey

Susan Armijo-Olivo  1 , Jorge Fuentes  2 , Iain Muir  3 , Douglas P Gross  1
Affiliations

Usage Patterns and Beliefs about Therapeutic Ultrasound by Canadian Physical Therapists: An Exploratory Population-Based Cross-Sectional Survey

Susan Armijo-Olivo et al. Physiother Can. 2013 Summer.

Abstract
in English, French

Purpose: To explore the frequency and patterns of ultrasound (US) usage among physical therapists, to describe the most common purposes for using therapeutic US, and to investigate beliefs about therapeutic US.

Methods: A survey was sent to 95% of physical therapists licensed to practise in the province of Alberta, Canada.

Results: Of 2,269 physical therapists to whom email invitations were sent, 438 (19.3%) provided full responses. RESULTS indicate that US is still frequently incorporated into treatment regimens and is widely believed to be effective; however, the study also found a decrease in US usage over the past 15 years. While physical therapists recognize the lack of evidence for the effectiveness of US, many consider it clinically useful. Physical therapists using US rely largely on their clinical experience when making decisions about its use, but this depends on level of education: clinicians with an MScPT degree tended to base more of their US decisions on research evidence, likely because of the increasing emphasis on research evidence in graduate education.

Conclusions: Despite the questionable effectiveness of therapeutic US, physical therapists still commonly use this treatment modality, largely because of a belief that US is clinically useful. However, US usage has decreased over the past 15 years.

Objectif : Explorer la fréquence et les tendances de l'utilisation de l'échographie chez les physiothérapeutes, décrire les raisons thérapeutiques les plus courantes d'utiliser l'échographie thérapeutique et analyser les croyances relatives à l'échographie thérapeutique. Méthodes : On a envoyé un questionnaire à 95% des PT autorisés à pratiquer en Alberta, au Canada. Résultats : Sur 2 269 physiothérapeutes qui ont été invités par courriel, 438 (19,3%) ont répondu au questionnaire au complet. Les résultats indiquent que l'échographie fait toujours partie fréquemment des protocoles de traitement et que l'on croit généralement qu'elle est efficace. L'étude a toutefois révélé aussi une baisse de l'utilisation de l'échographie au cours des 15 dernières années. Les physiothérapeutes reconnaissent peut-être le manque de données probantes sur l'efficacité de l'échographie, mais beaucoup d'entre eux la jugent utile sur le plan clinique. Les physiothérapeutes qui utilisent l'échographie s'en remettent en grande partie à leur expérience clinique lorsqu'ils prennent une décision sur son utilisation, mais tout dépend du niveau d'éducation: les cliniciens qui ont une maîtrise en physiothérapie ont tendance à fonder davantage leur décision d'y recourir sur des données de recherche, probablement parce qu'on accorde de plus en plus d'importance aux données de recherche au cours des études supérieures. Conclusions : En dépit de l'efficacité douteuse de l'échographie thérapeutique, les physiothérapeutes utilisent encore couramment ce mode de traitement, surtout parce que l'on croit qu'elle utile sur le plan clinique. L'utilisation de l'échographie a toutefois diminué au cours des 15 dernières années.

Keywords: beliefs; surveys; ultrasonic therapy.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Percentage of therapists using ultrasound for different therapeutic objectives
Figure 2
Figure 2
Therapists' opinions about ultrasound.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Sources of knowledge used when applying US.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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