Hong Kong Physiotherapy Journal

Background: Clinical education is considered a vital aspect of education of health science students. Attributes of clinical educators play a crucial role in determining the outcome of clinical teaching and learning. A good clinical educator ensures that students get maximum benefits of the clinical learning experience.

Objective: To determine the ratings of physiotherapy students on clinical education attributes of lecturers and clinical supervisors.

Methods: The study was conducted with 81 clinical physiotherapy students from two universities in Ghana. Two copies of McGill clinical teachers’ evaluation (CTE) tool were used to obtain students’ ratings on their clinical supervisors’ and lecturers’ clinical education attributes. Independent t-test was used to compare the means of students’ level of study and ratings regarding the clinical education attributes of clinical supervisors and lecturers.

Results: Students had a high rating on their clinical education attributes of supervisors and lecturers with a mean score of ($121.22\pm 18.12$) and ($122.11\pm 16.71$), respectively. Rating on clinical education attributes of supervisors ($p=0.111$) and lecturers ($p=0.124$) did not differ significantly between the different levels of study.

Conclusion: Clinical physiotherapy students rated the clinical education attributes of their lecturers and supervisors high.

Background: Self-efficacy expresses a learner’s perception of how well they can do in the online academic setting. Although students’ academic successes can be measured by online learning self-efficacy, there is a scarcity of evidence targeted toward allied health students.

Objective: The primary aim of this study is to determine the level of online self-efficacy among students from skill-based allied health programs. The secondary aim is to correlate online self-efficacy with age, sex, year level, and program of the students.

Methods: This cross-sectional analytic study utilized the Online Learning Self-Efficacy Scale (OLSE) to determine students’ level of self-efficacy via a survey conducted with students who underwent the Enriched Virtual Mode of learning. Descriptive statistics was used to characterize the study participants, describe the level of self-efficacy, and compare the subscales of OLSE. Inferential statistics using Spearman’s rho was performed to determine the correlation.

Results: A total of 117 respondents with a mean age ± SD of 20.59 ± 0.11 years old, predominantly female (71%) were included in the study. The students from allied health programs had an online self-efficacy overall mean score of 3.83 ($\mathrm{\text{SD}}=0.05$; range 2.64–5.00) with the use of technology subscales weighted the highest mean score (4.24). Females have a higher average OLSE score ($\mathrm{\text{M}}=3.92$, $\mathrm{\text{SD}}=0.05$) compared to males. Significant correlation was found between OLSE scores to sex ($r=0.260$, $p=0.005$) and year level ($r=-0.199$, $p=0.031$) while nonsignificant correlation was found between OLSE scores to the program ($r=-0.048$, $p=0.604$) and age ($r=-0.123$, $p=0.185$).

Conclusion: Students of allied health programs generally have a very good level of online self-efficacy. This study assists educators in developing proactive strategies and approaches to promote students’ self-confidence across all domains and encourage them to adopt a dynamic remote learning-based approach. Educational institutions should use this opportunity to assess how well they have implemented remote learning to ensure educational continuity, especially in times of crisis.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on students, instructors, and educational organisations all around the world. Remote learning was an emergency response by most universities in Ghana during this pandemic to ensure the continuation of their academic calendar. Conducting this study among Ghanaian undergraduate students is crucial because factors like socioeconomic status, technological resources, and individual learning preferences can significantly impact their experience and the perception of remote learning, which may differ from studies conducted elsewhere.

Objective: To determine the perceptions and experiences of remote learning among allied health sciences students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 218 second, third, and final year Allied Health Sciences students in the University of Ghana. A questionnaire was used to obtain data concerning health professions students’ perception and experience of remote learning. The readiness of students in respect to the emergency remote learning, attitudes towards remote learning, perception of remote learning, satisfaction, and the level of anxiety was calculated using mean and mean percentages. Kruskal–Wallis test was used to analyse differences between programmes of study and the perceptions and experiences of remote learning.

Results: One hundred and fifteen (53.1%) of the participants had moderate perceptions of independence and responsibility in their learning experiences while 80 (36.7%) students reported that their satisfaction levels regarding remote learning was high. Seventy-seven (38.4%) students reported that they had a burden of anxiety. There was no statistically significant difference between anxiety level and programme of study.

Conclusion: Ghana Allied Health Sciences students had positive perceptions and experiences towards remote learning. They could adapt to the new teaching method with appropriate technology integration. Despite a number of students who were anxious about using remote learning. Adequate support towards transitioning into the use of technology may be a good consideration.

Background: Although the effect of active warm-up (WU) on acute flexibility enhancement is well documented, the test-induced WU effect in muscle length test has not been widely studied.

Objective: This study aimed to verify the test-induced WU effect on hamstring flexibility tests.

Methods: The active knee extension (AKE) was performed using the right leg, whereas the straight leg raise (SLR) was performed using the left leg. Ten trials of AKE or SLR were performed: two as the pre-intervention trials (Pre); six as the WU intervention; and another two trials as the post-intervention (Post). During WU, subjects in the WO-Hold group performed six trials of the AKE or SLR without hold, and those in the W-Hold group performed six trials of the AKE or SLR with a 5s hold.

Results: A significant difference was noted between Pre-AKE and Post-AKE, and between Pre-SLR and Post-SLR, respectively, in both the groups. The effect of WU is clear when performing consecutive AKE or SLR without any additional hold.

Conclusion: Practitioners should be cautious in interpreting the testing result to avoid overestimation of the treatment effect since the test itself may induce substantial WU effect to the target tissues.

Background: Exotropia control is deteriorated by post-strabismus surgery in many cases. Improving this control is considered as an important factor for success of the strabismus surgery like ocular motor alignment.

Objective: To determine the therapeutic effect of postoperative eye exercises on exodeviation eye control after the strabismus surgery.

Methods: Forty patients suffering from intermittent exotropia after strabismus surgery were randomly divided into experimental group and control groups. Both groups received the usual medical care, while the experimental group received different types of eye exercises using physiotherapy modalities in 24 sessions over three months (two sessions a week). The measurement of exotropia control for near target and far target using the office-based scale was done before and after the treatment.

Results: There was a significant improvement in near eye control post-treatment ($0.45\pm 0.61$) in the experimental group compared with control group ($3.65\pm 0.88$) as the mean difference was −3.20 and 95% CI of the difference between them was −3.645–−2.755 with $P<0.01$. Also, far eye control improved post-treatment in the experimental group ($0.75\pm 0.64$) compared with control group ($4.00\pm 0.86$) with mean difference of −3.250 and 95% CI of the difference between them was −3.727–−2.773 with $P<0.01$.

Conclusions: For patients with intermittent exotropia who had undergone strabismus surgery, the addition of physiotherapy exercises for the eye provided significant improvements in exotropia control for near target and far target.

Background: Neurodynamic Tests (NDTs) are used to assess neural mechanosensitivity in various conditions such as neural sliding, tension or inflammatory dysfunction. But in some upper quadrant dysfunctions, standard testing procedure of NDT cannot be assessed or tolerated by patient.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to determine the validity, intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of modified NDTs via median and ulnar nerve in patients with cervical radiculopathy.

Methods: Thirty-three patients (18 men and 15 women, mean age ± SD $-40.18\pm 9.01$) with cervical radiculopathy having positive response to standard NDTs were included in the study. Modified neurodynamic tests for median & ulnar nerve were performed with modification in the sequencing of standard neurodynamic test at lower degrees of glenohumeral abduction and external rotation. Outcome measures used were angle of elbow extension for median nerve and angle elbow flexion for ulnar nerve at the point of pain onset indicated by “OP” (Onset of Pain).

Results: Reliability of OP was evaluated using measurement of Intra-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC), Standard Error of Measurement (SEM) and Minimal Detectable Change (MDC) values. Results indicated high ICC values and low SEM values for OP during modified median and modified ulnar NDTs (M-MNT1 and M-UNT) on symptomatic side of patients with cervical radiculopathy. Spearman correlation analysis for validity of test score showed strong correlation ($r=0.767$) with standard NDT.

Conclusion: There was strong correlation between Modified NDTs and standard tests depicting good validity and substantial reliability of OP during M-MNT1 and M-UNT for positive NDT response in patients with cervical radiculopathy.

Background: Hamstring strain injuries remain a challenge for both athletes and clinicians given the high incidence rate, slow healing, and persistent symptoms. Increased tension in the neural structures is a known causative factor for hamstring tightness for which neural mobilization has emerged as a significant adjunct to routine stretching techniques.

Objective: To compare the short-term effects of neural sliding and neural tensioning on hamstring length in male recreational soccer players with hamstring tightness.

Methods: Sixty-two participants between ages 18 and 30 years were randomly assigned to one of the two groups viz. neural sliding or neural tensioning. Participants in either group performed the given stretching protocol in three sets. The Active Knee Extension Test (AKET) and Sit and Reach Test (SRT) were recorded before intervention, immediately after intervention, and after 60min. between- and within group-analysis was done using analysis of variance.

Results: Between-group analysis showed that neural tensioning was more effective than neural sliding in improving hamstring length on both measures, however this difference was negligible. Within-group analysis demonstrated that the mean post-test scores on the AKET test and SRT were significantly greater than the pre-test scores in both groups ($p<0.05$). A reduction in the post-test scores was observed after 60 min, irrespective of the type of stretching ($p<0.05$).

Conclusion: There was no difference in short-term effects of neural sliding or neural tensioning on hamstring flexibility in male recreational soccer players. Both groups showed improved flexibility immediately after the intervention with reduction in the effect after 60min.