Scaptivation: A Progressive Training System for the High Velocity Throwing Athlete
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The relationship between the Health Science Reasoning test (HSRT) and Rockhurst DPT student academic performance
Amy Foley, PT, DPT; Chaeli Greco SPT, Chelsea Jerabek SPT, Chase Miller SPT, Chris Morton SPT, Timothy Schonhoff SPT, Clinton Singleton SPT
Introduction: Studies have shown the importance of critical thinking and reasoning processes in physical therapy (PT). Early studies found that experienced physical therapists used a specific critical reasoning method during evaluation, analysis, and developing a plan of care that can easily be taught to entry level physical therapists and student physical therapists. Another study by May et al. (2010) found major weaknesses in the clinical reasoning skills of novice therapists compared to reports of expert clinicians, signifying the need for development in the education of student and junior physical therapists. In 2014, Cox and McLaughlin found significant positive correlations between course grades in 8 courses and HSRT overall scores in first year doctor of pharmacy students. All significant correlations were accounted for by pharmaceutical care laboratory courses, therapeutics courses, and a law and ethics course, meaning that the HSRT scores can be an indicator of how students will perform in a health science graduate program and the ability to develop critical reasoning skills. Many studies show that students and novice physical therapists lack the skills of experienced clinicians, indicating developing critical reasoning skills need to be a focus of the education process.
Purpose: The purpose of this study is intended to see if there is a relationship between academic performance, including overall GPA and competency on task-oriented, clinical decision making assessments (practical examination), and students scores on the HSRT. The questions this study seeks to answer are is there a relationship between the Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT) and Rockhurst DPT student academic performance and do Rockhurst DPT students show a variance in students' initial clinical reasoning scores and those at graduation?
Methods: The subjects of this study were doctor of physical therapy students at Rockhurst University. The subjects took the Health Science Reasoning test (HSRT) under test taking conditions and after Informed Consent was given. The test was administered at the beginning of the first semester of the PT program and again in the last semester of the program to see if the scores changed after exposure to clinical reasoning course material and clinical experiences. Overall test results were also compared to academic performance including 6th semester final GPAs and competency on practical assessments within the program. SPSS software was used to analyze the data and Pearson correlation and Paired t-test were used. 94 subjects participated but only 74 total subjects were used in the research.
Discussion: This study also shows a poor, positive significant difference between third year overall score on the HSRT and overall GPA. The poor significant relationship between overall HSRT score and overall GPA demonstrated that students who had higher overall GPAs at the conclusion of the second year of the DPT program scored higher on the third year overall HSRT score.
Conclusion: This study concludes that that the Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT) may not be a quality indicator of academic performance in the entry level Doctor of Physical Therapy program.
Purpose: The purpose of this study is intended to see if there is a relationship between academic performance, including overall GPA and competency on task-oriented, clinical decision making assessments (practical examination), and students scores on the HSRT. The questions this study seeks to answer are is there a relationship between the Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT) and Rockhurst DPT student academic performance and do Rockhurst DPT students show a variance in students' initial clinical reasoning scores and those at graduation?
Methods: The subjects of this study were doctor of physical therapy students at Rockhurst University. The subjects took the Health Science Reasoning test (HSRT) under test taking conditions and after Informed Consent was given. The test was administered at the beginning of the first semester of the PT program and again in the last semester of the program to see if the scores changed after exposure to clinical reasoning course material and clinical experiences. Overall test results were also compared to academic performance including 6th semester final GPAs and competency on practical assessments within the program. SPSS software was used to analyze the data and Pearson correlation and Paired t-test were used. 94 subjects participated but only 74 total subjects were used in the research.
Discussion: This study also shows a poor, positive significant difference between third year overall score on the HSRT and overall GPA. The poor significant relationship between overall HSRT score and overall GPA demonstrated that students who had higher overall GPAs at the conclusion of the second year of the DPT program scored higher on the third year overall HSRT score.
Conclusion: This study concludes that that the Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT) may not be a quality indicator of academic performance in the entry level Doctor of Physical Therapy program.