%0 Journal Article
%T Evaluation of the Mode of Referral of Patients for Physiotherapy by Physicians
%A DI Odebiyi
%A AR Amazu
%A MO Akindele
%A SE Igwe
%A MOB Olaogun
%J African Journal of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Sciences
%D 2010
%I 
%X The physiotherapy profession has emerged not only as an important medical and rehabilitation complement in health care delivery but also as a vital therapeutic tool with defined scientifically based protocols. In Nigeria, it is used as a prescription rather than as a referral, on a consultation basis, but its use as a prescription is gradually being discouraged in some developed countries. There seems to be a low level of awareness of this development, particularly in the developing countries. This study was therefore designed to evaluate the physiciansĄŻ mode of referral of patients for physiotherapy in Nigeria. A total of 1192 physicians participated in the survey, a 78 per cent response rate. They were required to complete a 22-item self developed closed-ended questionnaire using a sample of opportunity. The questionnaire obtained information on demographic data, educational attainment, university of graduation, year of graduation and mode of referral for physiotherapy. A total of 1054 (88.4%) respondents agreed that physiotherapists were trained enough to make clinical decisions on the treatment of their patients and 678 (56.9%) referred patients for physiotherapy. Of the respondents who agreed that physiotherapists are trained well enough to make clinical decisions on the treatment of their patients, 786 (74.6%) graduated from universities that also have a physiotherapy training programme. The majority 442 (68.2%) of these respondents and 603 (79.4%) of the respondents who received some form of lectures in physiotherapy during their medical training or whose universities had a physiotherapy training programme did not include prescriptions in their referrals. KEY WORDS: physicians, mode of referral, physiotherapy
%U http://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajprs/article/view/62601