Table 1.
Summary of study characteristics by condition
| Condition | N | Countries | Age range¶; mean (SD) unless stated otherwise | Experience¶; mean years (SD) unless stated otherwise Low: lowest values from studies High: highest values from studies |
Sample size range¶ | Assessment measure |
| Musculoskeletal | ||||||
| Low back pain (one study did not contribute data) |
48 | USA (n=9); UK (n=8); Netherlands (n=6); Ireland (n=6); Canada (n=5); New Zealand (n=3); Australia; Brazil; Denmark; Ghana; India; Nigeria Norway; South Africa; Spain; Sweden; Thailand |
PTs: 32.6 (7.8) to 47 (9.3) Pts: 34.5 (17) to 53.9 (14.5). |
Low: 2 (IQR 5) or 77.3% between 1 and 5 y High: 24 (9.4) or 50% between 15 and 24 y |
PTs: 44–1239 Pts: 42–8714 Treatment sessions: 1151–12387 |
Survey with vignettes=12 Survey without vignette=11 Treatment recording forms=15 Audit of clinical notes=7 Survey of Pts=1 Audit of billing codes=1 Clinical observation=1 |
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| Neck pain and whiplash* | 11 | USA (n=3); Australia (n=2); various (n=2); Canada; Nigeria; Singapore; Spain; Sweden** | PTs: 32.6 (7.8) or 60%>40 y Pts: 35.5 (11.5) to 53.9 (14.5) |
Low: 8.4 (7.4) or 14.8%<3 y High: 16 (12) or 38%≥20 y or median (range) 20 y (1–47) |
PTs: 27–278 Pts: 532–2491 |
Survey with vignettes=2 Survey without vignette=5 Treatment recording forms=2 Audit of clinical notes=2 Audit of billing codes=1 NB: one study included both a survey without vignette and audit of clinical notes |
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| Subacromial pain or shoulder pain† | 7 | Sweden (n=2); Belgium; India; Netherlands; Nigeria; Spain | PTs: 29.1 (5.4) to 50.6 (26.2) Pts: 50 (13) to 53.9 (14.5) |
Low: 4.9 (5.1) High: 14 (11.8) |
PTs: 57–271 Pts: 121–365 |
Survey with vignettes=2 Survey without vignette=2 Treatment recording forms=1 Audit of clinical notes=1 Audit of billing codes=1 |
| Knee osteoarthritis (one study combined knee and hip osteoarthritis) |
7 | UK (n=2); Belgium; Canada; Netherlands; Nigeria; Norway |
PTs: 45.7 (11.7) to 66.7 (13.2) |
Low: 8.4 (7.4) or 41.7% between 1 and 5 y High: 21 (12) or median (range) 26 (1–45) |
Departments: 83 PTs: 123–538 Pts: 870 |
Survey with vignettes=2 Survey without vignette=3 Survey to department=1 Treatment recording forms=1 |
| Knee pain‡ | 3 | USA (n=2); Netherlands | PTs: 32.6 (7.8) or 60%<35 y Pts: 36.2 (17.6) or 39% between to 41.2 (14.1) or 12%>60 y |
8.4 (7.4) | PTs: 141–462 Pts: 416–2491 |
Treatment recording forms=3 |
| Lateral ankle sprains | 3 | Netherlands (n=3) | PTs: 43 (no SD) to 51 (9) Pts: 34.7% between 0 and 24 y to 5.2% ≥ 65 y or 33 (17) |
4 (4) to 8 (15) (within the same study; two separate groups) |
PTs: 83–332 Pts: 251–1413 |
Survey without vignette=1 Treatment recording forms=2 |
| Plantar fascitis | 2 | UK; USA | Pts: 5.2%<20 y to 11.3%≥60 y | 5% between 0 and 2 y 11% between 3 and 5 y 27%≥20 y (within the same study) |
PTs: 257 Pts: 57 800 |
Survey without vignette=1 Audit of billing codes=1 |
| Lumbar spine stenosis | 1 | Canada | Pts: 70 (11) | 16.8 (no SD) | PTs: 76 Pts: 44 |
Survey without vignette and survey of Pts=1 |
| Pregnancy-related acute low back pain | 1 | UK | No data | 21.5 (10) | PTs: 499 | Survey with vignettes=1 |
| Pelvic girdle pain | 1 | Norway; Australia (within the same study) |
PTs: 33.5 (9.3) (Norway) 37.9 (11.2) (Australia) |
9.3 (9.3) (Norway) 15.4 (11.6) (Australia) |
PTs: 142 | Survey with vignettes=1 |
| Chronic lateral epicondylitis | 1 | Sweden | No data | No data | PTs: 47 | Survey without vignette=1 |
| Thumb carpometacarpal joint pain | 1 | USA | No data | Hand therapy experience: 4.6%≤5 y; 13.9% between 6 and 10 y; 64.3%≥11 y |
PTs: 547 | Survey without vignette=1 |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 2 | Canada; Netherlands | PTs: 43 (10.8) Pts: 59.2 (13.8) |
Low: 19 (SD 10.3) High: 22.5 (no SD) |
PTs: 26–233 | Survey without vignette=1 Treatment recording forms=1 |
| Osteoporosis | 2 | Canada; USA | No data | 13.7 (10.8) | PTs: 67–83 | Survey without vignette=2 |
| Sports injuries | 3 | Greece; Nigeria; UK | Pts: 29.9 (10.8) to 35 (12.5) | No data | Pts: 171–1399 | Treatment recording forms=2 Audit of clinical notes=1 |
| Patella femoral pain syndrome and Achilles tendinopathy | 1 | UK | 35 (12.5) | No data | Pts: 100 | Audit of clinical notes=1 |
| Combined musculoskeletal conditions (low back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, knee pain and acquired deformities of the spine) | 1 | Netherlands | Pts: 46.1%≥45 y | No data | Pts: 8714 PTs: 74 |
Treatment recording forms=1 |
| Orthopaedics | ||||||
| Knee arthroplasty§ (one study combined knee and hip arthroplasty) |
6 | UK (n=3); Australia; Greece; Netherlands | PTs: 40.4 (12.6) Pts: 71.4 (7.7) |
Low: 34.1%<5 y High: 37.9%≥20 y |
Departments: 16–65 PTs: 132–303 Pts: 63 |
Survey without vignette=3 Survey to department=2 Audit of clinical notes=1 |
| Lumbar surgery (fusion or discectomy) | 2 | UK (n=2) | No data | Condition specific experience: 10 (IQR 3–15) |
Departments: 75 PTs: 71 |
Survey without vignette=1 Survey to department=1 |
| Pelvic surgery | 1 | Australia | No data | No data | PTs: 84 | Survey without vignette=1 |
| Distal radius fracture | 1 | Australia | PTs: median (IQR) 33.5 (23–40) Pts: 71%>51 y |
Median (IQR) 7 (0.8–11) |
Pts: 70 Treatment sessions: 160 |
Treatment recording forms=1 |
*Two studies also provided data on physical therapy treatment choices for low back pain and knee pain, two for low back pain and shoulder pain and one for low back pain only.
†Two studies also provided data on physical therapy treatment choices for low back pain and neck pain.
‡Two studies also provided data on physical therapy treatment choices for neck pain and low back pain, and one for low back pain only.
§One study also provided data on physical therapy treatment choices for low back pain.
¶Single values indicate that only one study provided data for this field.
**One study looked at data from more than one country.
N, number of studies; Pts, patients; PTs, physical therapists or physiotherapists; y, years.