Introduction

The variety of activities that can be performed by a physiotherapist includes: health care, research, management, teaching and implementation of health policies. Unfortunately, the physicians´ knowledge about the involvement of the physiotherapist in these activities is precarious and therefore, so is the interdisciplinary teamwork.

Objective

To describe the knowledge and perception that the medical residents of a third level hospital have about the activities and importance of interdisciplinary teamwork with physiotherapy.

Method

This was an observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study. A questionnaire of 12 items of multiple choice was built and applied to the pediatrics medical residents, medical genetics and pediatric fellowships, whom had to respond at least 80% of the questionnaire. The medical residents whose patients always received physiotherapy consult where excluded.

Results

A total of 158 medical residents were included and the majority (77.8%) only knew about the health care activities of the physiotherapist. The 68% referred from 1 to 4 consultations per month to this professional. The majority of doctors acknowledged the capacity and independence of the physiotherapist to establish functional diagnosis but not treatments on their own (68%). More than a half (66.7%) of the medical residents pointed the necessity of patient rounds and clinical sessions with the physiotherapist as ways of learning.

Conclusions

It would be advisable to increase the curriculum of the medical residents about the work field of the physiotherapist and the benefits of interdisciplinary teamwork.