Views and perceptions of Australian physiotherapists and physiotherapy students about the potential implementation of physiotherapist prescribing in Australia: a survey protocol

BACKGROUND: Non-medical prescribing (NMP) is acknowledged as an expanding area of clinical practice across the world. The physiotherapy profession is currently investigating the introduction of physiotherapist prescribing in Australia, with the case for reform centred around meeting the healthcare needs of the current and future Australian population. Conflict within a profession has been identified as a barrier to implementation of new clinical innovations. An online survey has been developed with the aim to collect and synthesise the views and perceptions of Australian physiotherapists and physiotherapy students about the potential use of NMP by physiotherapists in Australia. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive survey design, using a pre-tested online questionnaire, including quantitative and qualitative components, will be utilised to explore the views and perceptions of Australian physiotherapists and physiotherapy students regarding NMP by physiotherapists in Australia. Quantitative data will be analysed descriptively and regression analysis will be utilised to identify associations between the specific question outcomes and demographic data. A thematic analytical approach will be utilised to synthesise qualitative data from open-questions. DISCUSSION: The results from this survey will serve to inform decision-makers about the current views of the Australian physiotherapy profession with regards to the potential implementation of physiotherapist prescribing in Australia. Data will be used in conjunction with cost-benefit analyses, risk analysis as well as assessment of the health-requirements and consultation with key stakeholders including the Australian health consumer when contemplating change. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s12913-018-3300-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.