Outpatient Physical Therapist Attitudes Toward and Behaviors in Cardiovascular Disease Screening: A National Survey

Background Screening the cardiovascular system is an important and necessary component of the physical therapist examination to ensure patient safety, appropriate referral, and timely medical management of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and risk factors. The most basic screening includes a measurement of resting blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR). Previous work demonstrated that rates of BP and HR screening and perceptions toward screening by physical therapists are inadequate. Objective The purpose was to assess the current attitudes and behaviors of physical therapists in the United States regarding the screening of patients for CVD or risk factors in outpatient orthopedic practice. Design This was a cross-sectional, online survey study. Methods Data were collected from an anonymous adaptive online survey delivered via an email list. Results A total of 1812 surveys were included in this analysis. A majority of respondents (n = 931; 51.38%) reported that at least half of their current caseload included patients either with diagnosed CVD or at moderate or greater risk of a future occurrence. A total of 14.8% of respondents measured BP and HR on the initial examination for each new patient. The most commonly self-reported barriers to screening were lack of time (37.44%) and lack of perceived importance (35.62%). The most commonly self-reported facilitators of routine screening were perceived importance (79.48%) and clinic policy (38.43%). Clinicians who managed caseloads with the highest CVD risk were the most likely to screen. Limitations Although the sampling population included was large and representative of the profession, only members of the American Physical Therapy Association Orthopaedic Section were included in this survey. Conclusions Despite the high prevalence of patients either diagnosed with or at risk for CVD, few physical therapists consistently included BP and HR on the initial examination. The results of this survey suggest that efforts to improve understanding of the importance of screening and modifications of clinic policy could be effective strategies for improving rates of HR and BP screening.