Evaluating the knowledge, practice and experience about management of Parkinson’s Disease among physiotherapists in Ghana: a cross-sectional survey

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) presents with numerous functional disabilities which require specific expertise for effective management. Objective: To describe the level of PD-specific expertise among physiotherapists (PTs) in Ghana and establish the association between the level of expertise, practice duration and number of persons with PD treated annually. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among PTs. A 25-item questionnaire was validated, piloted and distributed to PTs during an annual general meeting. Microsoft Excel 2016 and the Kruskal-Wallis test were used to perform descriptive statistical analysis and test for association respectively. Results: There was a 70% (n=42/60) response rate. Overall, 50%-90% of the participating PTs had limited knowledge about the cardinal motor signs, non-motor symptoms, motor complications of PD and setting of treatment goals. There was no significant association between participants’ level of PD-Specific expertise and practice duration and number of persons with PD treated annually. Conclusion: The PTs exhibited inadequate knowledge about PD and its management. This limitation was not influenced by PTs practice duration or number of persons with PD treated annually. The immediate need for PD-specific training for PTs in Ghana is crucial to enhance PTs’ expertise in the management of persons with PD. Keywords: Parkinson’s disease; physiotherapy; professional knowledge.