Methodological rigor and use of theory in physical therapy leadership research: a scoping review

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate whether the current body of leadership research in physical therapy uses contemporary themes and theories of leadership, evaluate the type of research being conducted and the quality of the research methodologies being used. Design/methodology/approach A search was conducted, adhering to PRISMA-ScR guidelines for scoping reviews. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied using data extraction tools for title/abstract and full text reviews. Reliability between authors was established for each tool. Data extracted included study design, classification of evidence, use of leadership theory and references to knowledge, skills, abilities and behaviors. Findings The search produced 153 articles for full-text review. A total of 79.7% were within the single discipline of physical therapy (“PT discipline”), and 20.2% included physical therapy and at least one additional health-care profession (“multidisciplinary”). Only 33.6% of “PT discipline” articles explicitly cited theory compared with 61.3% of the “multidisciplinary” articles. Of the “PT discipline” articles, descriptive research comprised 41.8%, narratives/commentaries 27%, qualitative research 28.7% and outcome studies 2.5%. Of the “multidisciplinary” articles, descriptive research comprised 54.8%, qualitative research 25.8% and outcome research 16.1%. Only two of the “PT discipline” and two of the “multidisciplinary” articles were rated at the highest level of evidence. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the only scoping review known to the authors that looks at the use of leadership theory and methodological rigor in the field of physical therapy leadership.