@article{Alosaimi_Alamri_Alghamdi_2022, title={Attitudes and Beliefs of Physical Therapists in Saudi Arabia Regarding Direct Access and Scope of Practice}, volume={9}, url={https://mbmj.org/index.php/ijms/article/view/662}, DOI={10.15342/ijms.2022.662}, abstractNote={<p><strong>Purpose</strong>: This study aimed to understand better what practicing physical therapists know and believe about direct access (DA) and scope of practice (SOP) for physical therapy in Saudi Arabia (SA). <strong>Methods</strong>: A pilot study was first performed to ensure the clarity of the questions. Then, a cross-sectional survey was sent through emails, and social media platforms included three main sections: demographics, opinions, and beliefs questions. <strong>Results</strong>: A total of 150 respondents met the inclusion criteria. About 55.3% of the participants reported never or rarely using an SOP document as a reference for knowing their practice. Moreover, nearly 48% learned about the SOP through an informal discussion. Only 24.7% of the participants correctly identified which practice setting DA is permitted. Most participants felt confident or strongly confident of their abilities to assess (67.3%) and treat (72%) patients without physicians’ referral. Around 84% of the participants agreed or strongly agreed that DA should be expanded to include all healthcare settings. <strong>Conclusion</strong>: We found that physical therapists are confident about their ability to treat and assess patients without physicians’ referrals. There is uncertainty about where DA is permitted in SA.</p>}, journal={Integrative Journal of Medical Sciences}, author={Alosaimi, Safwan and Alamri, Raed and Alghamdi, Maher}, year={2022}, month={Apr.} }