With the plethora of continuing-education (CE) courses available today, physical therapists (PTs) are faced with many opportunities to advance their knowledge and skill levels. Determining what CE course is right for your career advancement and professional interest can be daunting. To talk about the latest trends in CE courses and provide tips on choosing optimal courses, Physical Therapy Products spoke with Barbara Goldfarb, MSPT, vice president and cofounder of Education Resources Inc, Medfield, Mass.

Advance your career by choosing the most appropriate continuing-education courses.

How have CE courses evolved in recent years?

Goldfarb: While we do see more online courses in recent years, our experience is that PTs still desire an opportunity to meet with colleagues, practice clinical problem solving with peers, and improve their hands-on techniques—which you cannot do with an online course. We also see that therapists are becoming better consumers of CE courses. They call our office to ask questions before signing up for a particular course, and we are always happy to help them decide which courses are best for them. They might ask, “Is this right for the patient population that I see?” or “I’m an early-intervention therapist. Is this pediatric course right for me?” We have PTs on staff who can answer their questions.

What recent trends have you noticed regarding CE courses?

Goldfarb: After several years of a lull in courses due to the health care environment and Medicare cuts, we see attendance increasing. There is also more of an emphasis on clinical problem solving and critical thinking, and less on learning specific facts. This may be due to the fact that PTs today are dealing with patients who are medically complex—patients might be older, experiencing many co-morbidities, and taking multiple medications—and PTs need to know how to best treat these patients’ various conditions. Also, if PTs are supervising physical-therapist assistants, then they need to be more of a problem solver and decision maker about critical care for patients.

As far as technology goes, a nice improvement in recent years has been PowerPoint presentations, which allow you to write in your notes right next to the same slide you are looking at during the lecture. This can really enhance learning.

Currently, what are the most popular CE courses for PTs?

Goldfarb: We see more of a need for evidence-based courses, and some PT boards are insisting on seeing some evidence. Also, because, therapists are working with sicker, medically complex patients, they are asking for acute care and intensive care unit (ICU)-update courses. In addition, vestibular rehab is an area that many outpatient-department clinics are getting into, and they want to train their PTs. In pediatrics, the hot courses are therapy taping and our neonatal ICU courses.

Are there physical therapy-industry trends that are not being addressed in CE courses?

Goldfarb: With the current shortage of therapists, therapists have large caseloads and have to make rapid decisions about prioritizing and setting goals. Therapists need to determine action quickly and safely in the acute-care or ICU setting, for example. We are in the process of revamping our courses to address this.

Are there any new regulations pertaining to CE credits and/or courses that PTs should know about?

Goldfarb: More and more state physical therapy boards are requiring CE courses for relicensure. So it is important to check the Web sites for individual state boards or call and see if something is in the works for these new requirements. You definitely want to leave enough time so you can get your continuing-education units (CEUs) over time—not at the last minute! It’s also important to take a course that meets your clinical needs, not just your need for CEUs.

What do you consider to be a successful CE course?

Goldfarb: From our point of view, we strive to have every learner assess a course as a “5-out-of-5” experience. We realize that sometimes PTs attend a course that is either too basic or too advanced for them, so even though the course is a great one, it just wasn’t at their level. Therefore, a successful CE-course experience is when a therapist is matched correctly with the right-level course. Also, if the therapist attained the learning objectives, and the environment was conducive to learning, we are very happy! If the therapist is able to do an in-service to his or her colleagues based on what he or she heard at the CE course, you know that the intended learning took place.

What’s right for one PT, however, may not be right for another. If you’re a recent graduate, you are not looking for the same kind of advanced problem-solving that someone with years of experience is seeking. The best instructors do have at least a few clinical years under their belts and are currently treating patients, so they know what treatments work and what ones don’t—not just the theory! These experienced clinicians really have something in mind when they say, “When you do this technique, do it this way,” and they know how to motivate patients. They have practical tips compared to someone who hasn’t treated patients for a while.

What questions should PTs ask before enrolling in a CE program to ensure optimal productivity?

Goldfarb: Most adult learners really know how they learn best. For example, after working in the field for a few years, many therapists find it hard to sit all day and just take notes. These learners should look for courses that have lab sections or active problem-solving sessions to keep them alert and attentive to maximize learning. They should ask themselves the following questions: What are they challenged with at work? What do they want to learn, and what type of patients or techniques do they need to improve upon? Then, they can look for a course that meets those needs. Most PTs still do not call and ask many questions. If they do call, they might ask about the items mentioned in the brochure of the CE course, but they do not know they can get very specific information by asking the right questions.