Cognitive Preferences and Level of Patient Management among Physical Therapists in Northern Mindanao

The call for independent practice in the Philippines for physical therapy professionals requires a satisfactory degree of cognitive preparedness needed for the clinical decision-making process and adaptation to new trends of patient management. This study aimed to determine the significant relationship between cognitive preference and the level of patient management of physical therapists in Northern Mindanao. The study makes use of descriptive correlational design. The respondents of the study were thirty (30) licensed physical therapists in Region 10 working as staff among PT facilities and those who are into private practice. The data show that clinical reasoning, screening, examination, evaluation, plan of care, procedural and educational intervention, documentation and outcome assessment has no significant relationship towards preceptive, receptive, intuitive, and systematic cognitive style of physical therapists. This is because the p-value did not reach the level of significance. However, the only diagnosis shows significant result towards preceptive, systematic, and intuitive cognitive preference. The results of the study suggest that preceptive, receptive, systematic and intuitive cognitive preference did not significantly relate to the clinical evaluation performance of physical therapists. Conversely, the ability to operate in the preceptive, systematic and intuitive mode is associated with better performance in diagnosis of patient management.

Keywords: Independent practice, clinical decision-making, patient management, cognitive preferences, physical therapists