Descriptive analysis of the academic situation of Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy in Spain

Background and aim: The presence of the Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy (CRP) contents in the curriculum of the Physiotherapy Degrees in Spain is unknown. We aimed to analyse the presence of specific CRP contents and subjects in the curricula of the Spanish Physiotherapy bachelor's degree programs. Material and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2020 to September 2021. The contents of the programs for the 2020-21 course of the Degrees in Physiotherapy were analyzed, using a syllabus or list of contents (48 items) that was created and validated by CRP experts from all over the national territory, using the Delphi method. Chi-squared test was applied to compare the distribution of items and specific CRP subjects, according to their presence in the teaching programs and by universities and autonomous communities. Results: A total of 252 subjects containing syllabus items were selected, corresponding to 56 universities (36 public). No significant differences were found in the distribution of the items in the teaching plans (p >0.05), nor in their distribution in public and private universities (p >0.05). Of the total subjects, 21.8% were specific to CRP, compared to the remaining 78.2% of non-specific subjects. Significant differences were found in the distribution of specific subjects according to universities (p = 0.04) and autonomous communities (p = 0.01), registering the highest proportion in Catalonia. Conclusions: There is harmonization with regard to the CRP contents taught in the Spanish Physiotherapy bachelor's degrees, but not in the proportion of specific contents or in the specificity of the subjects themselves.