A document analysis exploring Australian health service expectations of competency and training in recent Advanced Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy roles

Objectives This study aims to identify and analyse current health service expectations of Advanced Musculoskeletal Physiotherapists (AMPs), with a focus on the breadth and depth of competency. Methods This qualitative study applied document analysis of recent Australian AMP statements of duty, advertised online from November 2023 to April 2024. Role demographics were collected, as well as pre-employment education expectations, selection criteria and post-employment duties. Selection criteria and duties statements were transformed into a recent advanced practice competency framework and Bloom’s revised taxonomy. Data underwent manifest content analysis. Results Advertisement extraction identified 44 statements of duty. The majority were from Queensland (N = 18, 41%) and Victoria (N = 9, 21%). Most roles were located, at least partially, within emergency departments (N = 23, 52%). A post-graduate master’s level qualification (N = 37, 84%) was identified as a key training expectation, with musculoskeletal qualification being the most frequent. Manifest content analyses identified four main domains of competence that were predominant after data transformation: clinical expert practitioner, collaborator, scholar and leader. Cognitive complexity was highest in the domains of clinical expert practitioner and collaborator. Conclusions Health services highly value applicants with post-graduate qualifications. These qualifications likely support, at least to some degree, AMP competence in the most frequently stated and cognitively complex domains, including clinical expertise practitioner, leader, collaborator and scholar. Training and education for roles needs to meet AMP needs across the breadth and depth of competency domains.