Outcomes

Because the Physical Therapy profession changes as a result of medical and rehabilitation research, the information presented in the classroom must also change to assure appropriate preparation of our graduates.

The Physical Therapy Department has an Outcomes Committee that is charged with the task of monitoring the outcomes of our curriculum; that is, do our graduates leave the University of Evansville with the knowledge, skills, and behaviors required to succeed in any health care environment? The outcome assessment is a continuous process, and includes the review of both classroom and clinical activities. This process enables the faculty to adapt quickly to changes in the health care environment or physical therapy profession by modifying the entire curriculum, individual courses, or components of courses as needed. As a result of this ongoing assessment, the high quality and excellence that the program is recognized for is ensured.

There are several tools used to assess the program, including a Senior Survey conducted by the University, the Clinical Performance (CPI) used by all clinical instructors, an exit survey  conducted by the Physical Therapy Department, student focus groups, and a survey based on accreditation standards established by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). This survey is administered to each graduate at the time of graduation, and again one year and two years after graduation. In addition, the survey is sent to the employer of each graduate one and two years after graduation. The survey is our primary tool for monitoring outcomes and for determining what adjustments, if any, need to be made in our curriculum.

The survey asks the graduate and employer to indicate how well the graduate is prepared to practice in all aspects of physical therapy, from examination and treatment to teaching, administration, and research. If a threshold number of respondents to the survey believe the graduate is below the expected level of performance, or if any respondent is below the expected level of performance in an area that is also identified as a potential problem area on the CPI, that area of the curriculum is subjected to a rigorous and critical review by the faculty members involved in teaching that content. This threshold number is kept very low (currently 10% of the respondents) so as to not miss potential areas that need adjusted.

After a review of the curriculum, appropriate actions are taken by the entire faculty. This action may vary from a minor adjustment in material already taught to a complete overhaul of an area of the curriculum. For example, based in part on feedback from graduates and employers, the Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation content was redesigned, and a new course devoted exclusively to this material was developed. A relatively minor adjustment has been made in the area of peer review, in that all students now engage in peer review activities in each of the five Scientific Inquiry courses.

Assessment of outcomes is an ongoing process, which leads to a continual review and revision of the curriculum. This is as it must be if we are to continue to prepare our graduates for effective practice in a continually changing and challenging health care environment. We are committed to maintaining this continuous assessment.