gms | German Medical Science

Background: The bachelor physiotherapy program of Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) uses written reflection as an instrument for learning and improving practical skills in physiotherapy students. BFH has devised its program on the basis of the portfolio programs mentioned in medical education literature. The literature describes how a portfolio can positively influence reflective thinking. However, this raises the question whether a portfolio would also be applicable to undergraduate physiotherapy students? The research question is: What is the effectiveness of portfolio programs on reflection competence in undergraduate physiotherapy students?

Methods: We searched for eligible studies examining the effect of portfolio programs on reflection competence in undergraduate physiotherapy students. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to assess procedural quality. The study protocol was registered in advance: PROSPERO 2016:CRD42016043225

Results: Six non-RCT studies were included in this systematic review. The studies had a low average methodological quality. Only one study used a control group and few studies used the effect of portfolios on reflection competence as an outcome measurement.

Conclusions: The postulated results in the literature on portfolio programs overestimate effectiveness for undergraduate physiotherapy students. Our statement is based on the fact that the included studies had a low evidence level and only one study had a control group. Therefore, it is illegitimate to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of portfolio programs in undergraduate physiotherapy students.

Implications: Future studies should be performed as randomized controlled trials that use outcome measurements in order to assess the effectiveness of portfolio programs in improving reflection competence regarding practical skills and evidence-based practice. We recommended using the following assessment tools [1].