Sam Suke, Exercise Thought Physiotherapy, Victoria—The TEAM (team-enhanced accountability model) approach to clinical placements in private practice
What was the impetus for creating this model?
I have advocated for improved work readiness for new graduates in primary contact physiotherapy on three APA councils. Various strategies have been employed to smooth and expedite students’ ability to perform in private practice settings. The most promising emerged, in disguise, when physical distancing requirements prevented hundreds of students from attending clinical placements in the usual manner.
Exercise Thought Physiotherapy offered to adapt its method of hosting clinical placements by combining physical attendance (where government restrictions permitted same) with virtual attendance.
Patient-facing and homework tasks developed skills that are critical to successfully performing the important role of a primary contact clinician.
Four universities contributed more than 70 students combined across more than 800 days of clinical placement.
How will this affect clinical placements and the profession in general?
I hope that increased access and efficacy of clinical placement within primary contact settings will reduce risk to the physiotherapy profession, decrease diagnostic errors and improve the length and quality of physiotherapy careers.