Curriculum to Prepare Diagnosticians in Physical Therapy

The changing nature of health care and the expanding knowledge about diagnoses made by physical therapists require education programs to update their curricula continually. This article describes a curriculum that prepares entry-level physical therapy students to be diagnosticians. The curriculum is characterized by (1) immediate introduction of students to their roles as diagnosticians, (2) instruction in impairment-based diagnostic systems, (3) teaching diagnostic process through instruction in content, and (4) a systematic increase in the complexity of learning. An outline of the four-semester curriculum is provided with brief descriptions of the teaching methods used. Instruments that guide students to make judgments about diagnosis are provided. Examples are given of the classification schemes and diagnoses used for patients with medical-surgical, musculoskeletal, neurological, and cardiopulmonary problems. Preliminary evidence is provided of the extent to which graduates report using the diagnostic skills they have learned, and suggestions are made for encouraging increased usage. Collaborative research is needed to develop further the content on diagnosis in physical therapy.