Students’ Perceptions of Factors Contributing to DEI Awareness Following Completion of a DPT Program: A Retrospective Qualitative Study

Addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in physical therapy practice is essential to providing patient-centered care. Studies within the literature seeking to better understand healthcare students’ perceptions and abilities surrounding DEI are represented across multiple disciplines. Findings suggest that students value diverse patient experiences, hands-on learning, clinical education, and cultural immersion. Research addressing Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students’ perceptions of readiness to address DEI issues is lacking. The purpose of this retrospective qualitative study was to discover students’ perceptions of factors contributing to DEI awareness and ability to address DEI issues upon completing a DPT program.

Students from 2010 to 2020 graduating cohorts of a DPT program participated in semi-structured group exit interviews. Interviews were anonymized and transcribed verbatim. Data were coded, themed, and analyzed using the Giorgi method.

Two overarching themes and five subthemes emerged. The first theme was Exposure to Diversity, with three subthemes: targeted curricular content, extracurricular experiential learning, and DPT program demographics. The second theme was Personal Characteristics, with two subthemes: inherent beliefs and acquired beliefs.

Consistent with the literature, students described exposure to diversity through didactic instruction, clinical immersion, structured discussions, and extracurricular events as beneficial. Personal characteristics, including inherent and acquired beliefs, were also reported to play a role.

Factors such as teaching methods, mode of content delivery, and demographics of individuals in the learning environment should be considered in future efforts to effectively prepare students to address DEI issues and advance health equity.