Evaluation of exploration time, accuracy, and task difficulty perception in three tactile tests among physiotherapy students

Mlakar, Nataša (author), Hlebš, Sonja (author)

Objectives: Tactile sensitivity is one of the most important skills for developing competence in manual palpation. There is a lack of studies aimed at analyzing the development of tactile sensitivity during different levels of physiotherapy education. The present study aims to compare manual tactile sensitivity in two groups of physiotherapy students. Methods: Twenty first-year physiotherapy students (mean age 19.4 yrs ± 0.6) and twenty final-year physiotherapy students (mean age 23.7 yrs ± 3.7) participated in the study. For the tactile sensitivity test, 3 wooden tables were used, in which different geometric structures were engraved. Subjects were instructed to perform a tactile examination of the geometric structures and then reproduce them by drawing on a sheet of paper. The tactile time, drawing time, accuracy, and difficulty of the geometric structures were scored. A two-sample t-test was used for the between-groups comparison if more time in an educational program should result in differences in tactile time, drawing time, accuracy, and difficulty. Linear regression was used to compare the difficulty with the accuracy of all geometric structures. Wilcoxon test was used to test the intra-rater agreement. Results: The accuracy of the reproduction of geometric structures 1, 2 and 3 were 77.5%, 27.5% and 45%, for all physiotherapy students respectively. Final-year physiotherapy students spent more time exploring geometric structure 2 (p = 0.014) and geometric structure 3 (p = 0.0018) compared to first-year physiotherapy students. No statistically significant differences were found between groups in drawing time, accuracy, and difficulty of geometric structures. The examiner showed a high intra-rater agreement in the assessment (over 96%). Discussion/conclusion: The study showed that the level of education and gained experience during laboratory teaching may be important in improving the palpation skills of physiotherapy students. Tactile sensitivity exercises should be included in physiotherapy education programs.

• Language: English
• Keywords: palpation, tactile sensitivity, physical therapy, undergraduate education, postgraduate education
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: ZF - Faculty of Health Sciences
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 365-372
• Numbering: Vol. 33, no. 4
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-170910
• UDC: 615.83:378
• ISSN on article: 2042-6186
• DOI: 10.1080/10669817.2025.2465729
• COBISS.SI-ID: 227248899
• Publication date in RUL: 21.07.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: The journal of manual & manipulative therapy
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 2042-6186
• COBISS.SI-ID: 521511449

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: palpacija, taktilna občutljivost, fizikalna terapija, dodiplomsko izobraževanje, podiplomsko izobraževanje