| Sumario: | Purpose: The purpose of this study was to 1) describe the development and implementation of a novel educational module on social determinants of health (SDOH) for Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students, and 2) assess the effectiveness of the module on altering DPT students' knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and barriers in addressing SDOH. Methods: Drawing on current literature, content expert feedback, identity theory, and experiential learning theory, a two-hour module on SDOH was created and delivered at two universities. The Physical Therapy Social Determinants of Health Scale (PT-SDHS) was used to assess changes in students' knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and barriers to addressing SDOH in physical therapy settings. Paired-samples t-tests compared the mean overall score on the PT-SDHS as well as the summed score for each of the four domains assessed: knowledge, attitudes, beliefs about others, and personal barriers. Responses to three short answer questions were also coded to identify themes. Results: Thirty-one paired samples of pre-test and post-test PT-SDHS data were analyzed showing DPT students reported a significantly higher total PT-SDHS score (Mean Difference = +10.61, SE=1.72, t(31)=6.161, p<.001) and a higher Knowledge score (Mean Difference = +11.26, SE=1.36, t(31)=8.254, p<.001) after participating in the module. All other domains showed small, non-significant changes after module participation: Attitudes Mean Difference = -0.87, SE=0.89, t(31)=-0.982, p=.334; Barriers Mean Difference = +0.29, SE=0.45, t(31)=0.638, p=.528; Beliefs Mean Difference = -0.06, SE=0.39, t(31)=-0.165, p=.870. Descriptive themes from the student responses on the impact of the module emphasized the need for relevant resources, clinic-oriented practice, and preferred methods of instruction. Conclusion: This is the first study to describe the development, implementation, and assessment of an educational module on SDOH for DPT students and to find a significant improvement in DPT students' self-reported knowledge on screening, resource provision, and ability to address SDOH in physical therapy settings. Development of SDOH curricular components can follow this method to generate effective learning activities for healthcare students.
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