Dataset: Physical Therapists' Prediction of Prognosis for Orthopedic and Neurological Cases: A Survey Study

<i>Background:</i> This study aimed to analyze the influence of ageist beliefs of practicing physical therapists (PTs) on their expectations concerning the behavior and outcomes of patients with orthopedic conditions. We hypothesized that stronger ageist beliefs would be related to expectations of worse outcomes and less treatment adherence in older patients compared to clinically identical younger patients.<i>Methods:</i> Seventy-one (71) practicing PTs with a mean age of 40 years (+/-10.44, range 24-67) were recruited via snowball sampling. Participants were randomly assigned a case involving either a 42-year-old (YCG) or an 85-year-old patient (OCG) s/p surgical repair of a femoral shaft fracture. Participants were asked questions related to their expectations concerning the patient’s clinical and functional outcomes, response and adherence to physical therapy, and patient responsibility for their own outcomes. To measure ageism, participants completed the Kogan Attitude Toward Old People Scale consisting of 34 paired (positive/negative) statements.