Abstract
Research has shown that Canadian physiotherapists’ external focus of attention (EFOA) promotion is low, despite research supporting its benefit for individuals with musculoskeletal dysfunction. In an effort to translate the focus of attention (FOA) knowledge into physiotherapy, an educational workshop was designed and delivered virtually to fifteen Canadian physiotherapists (Mage = 44.5 ± 11.4 years; Mexperience = 18.9 ± 12.7 years). Previous analyses revealed physiotherapists reacted positively to the workshop and significantly improved their knowledge and skill from pre- to post-workshop. The current analyses focus on the self-reported workshop outcomes which utilized a scale ranging from 0 = not at all to 100 = extremely. Comparing pre- to immediately post-workshop, physiotherapists significantly improved their attitudes towards learning and applying FOA content (pre M = 88.25, SD = 11.00; post M = 92.83, SD = 6.59; p = .024, d = 0.56) and self-efficacy in promoting an EFOA (pre M = 59.50, SD = 22.36; post M = 85.72, SD = 7.95, p < .001, r = 0.86). One-week post-workshop, all physiotherapists reported an increase to their EFOA use (M = 79.00, SD = 15.14) and thirteen claimed it improved their clients’ rehabilitation outcomes (M = 68.08, SD = 22.13), which resulted in them reporting a high intention to continue to promote an EFOA in their practice (M = 87.31, SD = 15.09). These results extend the chain of evidence supporting the positive impact of the workshop and serves as an important step in bridging the FOA knowledge-physiotherapy practice gap.
