Biofeedback: A Survey regarding Current Clinical Use and Content in Occupational Therapy Educational Curricula

Abstract

Survey data were collected from a questionnaire mailed to 418 physical dysfunction rehabilitation clinics and 176 occupational therapy educational programs throughout the United States. Information collected from the clinics included: 1) current use of biofeedback, 2) types of biofeedback used, 3) frequency of biofeedback use, and 4) type of biofeedback training received. Information collected from the occupational therapy educational programs included: 1) current inclusion of biofeedback in the curriculum, 2) types of biofeedback included in the curriculum, 3) length of time biofeedback has been included in the curriculum, and 4) type of biofeedback training received by the course instructor. Questionnaires were returned from 301 clinics (72% of the sample) and 91 educational programs (67% of the sample). Forty-seven percent of the clinics reported current use of biofeedback while 59% of those not using biofeedback indicated they would like to in the future. Sixty-three percent of the professional level occupational therapy educational programs indicated current inclusion of biofeedback in the physical dysfunction portion of the curriculum while 13% of the technical level programs reported its inclusion. Electromyographic biofeedback is used in 95% of the clinics using biofeedback as a modality and is taught in 84% of the occupational therapy educational curricula that include biofeedback. Seventy-three percent of the clinicians using biofeedback reported their major training as “on-the-job,” while 66% of the educators including biofeedback in their curricula also reported their training primarily as “on-the-job.”