Therapists' Perspectives on the Management and Delivery of Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy Services

2005 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 9-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annette Rivard ◽  
Vivien Hollis ◽  
Johanna Darrah ◽  
Helen Madill ◽  
Sharon Warren

The impact of restructuring healthcare services on the day-to-day practice of occupational therapists and physical therapists was examined. Four main issues emerged: Limited understanding of scopes of practice; absence of a rehabilitation perspective at decision-making tables; lack of a career ladder; and barriers to the maintenance and enhancement of professional competence. This article describes the reported impact of these issues on patient care specifically and on the healthcare system in general. Recommendations for an improved structure within an interdisciplinary management paradigm that would ensure effective and efficient use of healthcare resources are provided.

1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 147-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna-Lena Bellner

This article is a descriptive study of 356 occupational therapists and 346 physical therapists in Sweden regarding their perceptions of professional status. These groups were compared according to educational level to determine whether the transfer of their education to a university level had made a difference in their perception of their own professional status and that of others. The status differences between the groups remained, and the structure of professional status seemed stable through time and not dependent on educational level. Professionals with a more positivistic knowledge base—physical therapists—tended to perceive increased professional status of themselves and of other team members, and professionals with a more humanistic knowledge base—occupational therapists—tended to perceive a decreased status. A plausible explanation might be that university schooling and certification reinforce a positivistic view, which is most prevalent in physical therapy. The ongoing process of professionalization within occupational and physical therapy might be more influenced by the medical profession than expected. Whether or not these findings apply to therapists in other countries is worth continued exploration through similar research investigations. As the therapy professions are becoming more global, information about educational and professional concerns of peers in different countries can provide increased insights into the professions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
V.V. Vitomskyi ◽  
О.B. Lazarіeva ◽  
S.М. Fedorenko ◽  
M.V. Vitomskа

<p><strong>Objective</strong>: to identify the main approaches in the management and motivation of the staff of the center to improve the effectiveness of physical therapy in orthopedic disorders, to form ways to take these features into account in managing the process of physical therapy.</p><p><strong>Methods</strong>: theoretical analysis and generalization of literary sources, method of systematization of scientific information.</p><p><strong>Results</strong>. It is advisable to use a fairly wide range of management techniques in the management of staff to provide physical therapy services, since it is about the impact on a rather complex system - the team of physical therapists, which in turn have a controlling influence on the not less complex systems - patients. The use of management methods can potentially contribute to a number of positive changes in the activities of the staff of physical therapists. The additional impact of these methods will be directed at the patient, in particular, in improving the quality of services. The work of a physical therapist is rather debilitating both from the physical side and from the psychological one. Therefore, the motivation of the staff is important in the management of physical therapists, as well as other employees of the Center for the provision of physical therapy services to patients with orthopedic profile. The study of the problem of motivation has a significant theoretical and practical significance, since the most valuable resource in the current conditions of the market of physical therapy services is personnel, not equipment. Therefore, the responsibility of the leader of a successful center for the provision of physical therapy services is that the motivational goals of the employees are largely correlated with the interests of the center and led to the final result to success, which can be characterized as achieving a useful result immediately to all participants in the system " the head is a physical therapist - a patient. " In a team of physical therapy center, as in any enterprise, there are different types of workers, and the choice of one concept of motivation is mainly determined by the majority of employees of a certain type in the team. The paper outlines the features of the selection and use motivational concepts for the staff center physical therapy. The theory of motivation is considered. Economic and non-economic motivational factors are allocated within the framework of the center for providing physical therapy services, the model of motivation of the personnel is given.</p><p><strong>Conclusio</strong><em>n</em>. The quality and performance of physical therapists in today's market conditions depends not only on professionalism and competence, but also on management, motivation, satisfaction of their needs and loyalty.</p>


2015 ◽  
Vol 95 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorna M. Hayward ◽  
Kristin C. Greenwood ◽  
Matthew Nippins ◽  
Alicia Canali

BackgroundPhysical therapists practicing in inpatient acute care settings in the United States work in a 21st century health care system that requires professional competence in clinical reasoning and decision making. For doctor of physical therapy (DPT) students, the development of confidence in the patient evaluation and the professional skills necessary for managing the inpatient environment can be challenging.ObjectiveThe study's purpose was to understand whether the early exposure of students to inpatient settings informed their understanding of the thought processes and actions of experienced clinicians during client interactions.DesignA qualitative design was used.MethodsThirty-three DPT students working in inpatient settings were recruited from 15 unique inpatient hospital (acute care and rehabilitation) facilities with a convenience sampling technique. Reflective data were collected for 1 month with clinician-facilitated discussion boards.ResultsFour themes emerged: environment, communication, evaluation, and client-therapist interaction. The themes informed a conceptual model depicting the observation by DPT students of factors that influenced interactions between clients and experienced clinicians in inpatient settings. Reflection on the what, the how, and the why that informed clinical decisions enabled students to recognize the situated nature of evaluation and treatment approaches.LimitationsThe use of a sample from 1 year of a DPT program at one university reduced the generalizability of the results.ConclusionsLimited research has examined student perceptions of the interactions of experienced clinicians with clients in inpatient acute care settings. More research is needed to understand the impact of exposing students to the thoughts and actions of therapists working in such settings earlier within DPT curricula.


Author(s):  
Stephanie Hovick ◽  
Ingrid Provident

Evidence-based practice enables rehabilitation therapists to provide the best quality of care and outcomes for patients. However, rehabilitation therapists are often not confident in using evidence in many settings. Purpose. The objective of this evidence-based practice project was to determine if educational small group sessions enhanced occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, physical therapists, physical therapy assistants, and a speech and language pathologist’s confidence in utilizing and applying evidence. Method. Eleven rehabilitation therapists of multiple disciplines (occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, physical therapists, physical therapy assistants, and a speech and language pathologist) from a skilled nursing facility participated in six educational sessions designed to increase evidence-based practice. A pre- and post-test utilizing the Evidence-Based Practice Profile Questionnaire (EBPPQ), measured change in therapists’confidence regarding evidence-based practice. Results. Results on the Evidence-Based Practice Profile Questionnaire concluded that 7 of 11 rehabilitation therapists reported an increase in confidence levels. Conclusion. Educational small group sessions can be an effective method to assist rehabilitation therapists in developing this confidence. KEYWORDS: Evidence-based practice, confidence levels, rehabilitation therapists, educational sessions, skilled nursing facility


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leta Melaku

BACKGROUND Physical activity is a first-line therapy and secures against persistent illnesses. Essential medical care professionals are obviously situated to advance actual action. Active recuperation mediations focused on advancement and upkeep of wellbeing, personal satisfaction, and wellness. There is, notwithstanding, a deficiency of such examination proof in Ethiopia. OBJECTIVE We planned to assess the degree of KAP of nonprofessional local physical therapists' towards wellbeing advancement in Arsi zone of Oromia, Southeast Ethiopia. METHODS Community based cross sectional study was conducted in April 2018 among 45 physical therapists. Data were collected using pre-tested, structured and self-administrative questionnaires. Participants were selected by quota sampling technique. The questionnaire was drafted specifically to test the KAP. Data were double entered and analyzed by SPSS Version 20.0 program. Descriptive statistics were used. The KAP were estimated using proportion. RESULTS In present response rate is 90.0%. Ages of respondents ranged between 24 – 87 years. 57.8% of participants got initial physical therapy knowledge from either of their parents. 53.3% of the respondents hear about health promotion from families and friends. 57.8% of them provided health promotion at their workplace. The overall percentage of all the respondents’ KAP in health promotion was 60.1%. CONCLUSIONS The respondents’ have good KAP towards health promotion. However there is still room for improvement. Also there is a lack of proper guide lines in determining the impact physical therapy.


2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Calouro ◽  
Mei Wa Kwong ◽  
Mario Gutierrez

This study conducted a scan of telehealth physical and occupational therapy state laws and regulations. The laws and regulations were analyzed to determine the potential effect they could have on physical therapists (PTs) and occupational therapists’ (OTs) utilization of telehealth. The results indicate that the majority of physical and occupational therapy boards are silent on telehealth. A handful of physical therapy laws and regulations address “consultation by means of telecommunication,” but do not provide any guidance for PTs or OTs seeking to provide direct telehealth-delivered services to patients.  Of the few states that do provide guidance, policy had the potential to provide clarity, or inhibit adoption. The findings suggest that as state boards look at crafting telehealth regulation, they should do so in a way that facilitates, rather than hampers adoption, while upholding their providers to a high standard of care.


1992 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 102-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven L. Wolf

AbstractBiofeedback instrumentation has been a growing part of physical therapy practice for 20 years, and physical therapists have contributed to researching its efficacy in treating varying conditions. The application of biofeedback to the treatment of stroke was marked by some early difficulties with the quality of the electronics, but sophisticated contemporary equipment can do much more than was originally envisioned. The importance of relating quantified movement-based data to functional measures is projected as a high priority if appropriate reimbursement for physical therapy services with biofeedback is to continue in the future.


2013 ◽  
Vol 93 (7) ◽  
pp. 957-966 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Johnson ◽  
Jane H. Burridge ◽  
Sara H. Demain

BackgroundFocus of attention is known to play an important role in motor skill learning, yet little is known about how attention is directed within the context of stroke rehabilitation.ObjectiveThe aims of this study were: (1) to identify physical therapists' use of internal and external focus of attention during gait rehabilitation for individuals with hemiplegia following stroke and (2) to use the findings to design an experimental study examining the impact of focus of attention on learning poststroke.DesignThe study design involved direct nonparticipation observation of physical therapy treatment sessions.MethodsEight physical therapy treatment sessions, in which gait rehabilitation was taking place, were video recorded. Patients were aged between 36 and 85 years, and ranged from 7 to 216 days poststroke; physical therapists had between 3 and 12 years of experience in stroke rehabilitation. Data analysis took 2 forms: (1) clear definitions of internal and external focus of attention were agreed on via a consensus group and used to develop an analysis matrix through which incidences of instruction and feedback were identified, categorized, and counted; and (2) verbal dialogue was transcribed verbatim and transcripts were thematically analyzed to provide a detailed description of how instructions and feedback were used, illustrated by examples.ResultsThe use of instructions and feedback (internal and external focus) was high; an average of one verbal instruction or feedback statement was delivered every 14 seconds. Sixty-seven percent of the statements were internally focused, 22% were externally focused, and 11% were of mixed focus. Unfocused statements (eg, “good”) also were used regularly. Patients were frequently encouraged to “think about” their performance.LimitationsObservational data collection methods may result in changes in the behavior of those observed, which is a potential source of bias. The small sample size also was a limitation of the study.ConclusionPhysical therapists frequently encouraged patients to be aware of their movements and their performance (internal focus). This approach may reduce automaticity and hinder learning and retention.


2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S616-S616
Author(s):  
A.R. Szczegielniak ◽  
J. Szczegielniak

Poor knowledge regarding mental health in general population in Poland, along with media coverage limited to repetition of harmful stereotypes towards patients treated at psychiatric wards and reinforcement of discriminative attitudes, results in an unfair evaluation and stigmatization of mental healthcare services. As a consequence, psychiatry, in comparison to many other medical fields, is unpopular among physiotherapy students, even though there is a compulsory subject in the university curriculum that covers, in theory, all the important knowledge that healthcare worker should possess in this regards. Young physical therapists are not taught about specific needs of the psychiatric patients. After graduation, they are lacking all basic skills on how to communicate with the patient. Being devoid of a direct contact with people suffering from mental disorders, physical therapists do not feel comfortable placed in the mental healthcare facilities. The aim of the study was to assess the extent of a basic psychiatric knowledge and general attitudes towards mentally ill of the physiotherapy students. The group consisted of 147 students. The pilot study has been limited to those studying physical therapy within borders of the Opole voivodship. Authors’ questionnaire has been developed in order to reach the aim and answers were gathered between January and June 2016. The results will be used to develop questionnaire suitable to share with physiotherapy students within the whole country and, consequently, formulate recommendations on necessary changes that must be introduced to the physical therapy curriculum in Poland by Polish Society of Physiotherapy (Psychiatry Section).Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


2013 ◽  
Vol 93 (10) ◽  
pp. 1321-1330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katreine Dierckx ◽  
Myriam Deveugele ◽  
Philip Roosen ◽  
Ignaas Devisch

BackgroundShared decision making (SDM) reduces the asymmetrical power between the therapist and the patient. Patient involvement improves patient satisfaction, adherence, and health outcomes and is a prerequisite for good clinical practice. The opportunities for using SDM in physical therapy have been previously considered.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to examine the status of SDM in physical therapy, patients’ preferred levels of involvement, and the agreement between therapist perception and patient preferred level of involvement.DesignThis was an observational study of real consultations in physical therapy.MethodsIn total, 237 consultations, undertaken by 13 physical therapists, were audiorecorded, and 210 records were analyzed using the Observing Patient Involvement (OPTION) instrument. Before the consultation, the patient and therapist completed the Control Preference Scale (CPS). Multilevel analysis was used to study the association between individual variables and the level of SDM. Agreement on preferences was calculated using kappa coefficients.ResultsThe mean OPTION score was 5.2 (SD=6.8), out of a total score of 100. Female therapists achieved a higher OPTION score (b=−0.86, P=0.01). In total, 36.7% of the patients wanted to share decisions, and 36.2% preferred to give their opinion before delegating the decisions. In the majority of cases, therapists believed that they had to decide. The kappa coefficient for agreement was poor at .062 (95% confidence interval=−.018 to .144).LimitationsOnly 13 out of 125 therapists who were personally contacted agreed to participate.ConclusionShared decision making was not applied; although patients preferred to share decisions or at least provide their opinion about the treatment, physical therapists did not often recognize this factor. The participating physical therapists were more likely to make decisions in the best interest of their patients; that is, these therapists tended to apply a paternalistic approach rather than involving the patient.


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