Physiotherapy theory and practice
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Physiother Theory Pract · Jan 2007
Satisfaction with outpatient physiotherapy: focus groups to explore the views of patients with acute and chronic musculoskeletal conditions.
Patient satisfaction is generally regarded as an important component in quality health care. However, there has been little satisfaction research in physiotherapy compared with that in other clinical fields with few qualitative studies that have explored patients' perceptions and attitudes toward physiotherapy. We report on the use of focus groups, as part of a multimethod approach of qualitative data collection into patients' satisfaction with their outpatient physiotherapy within the NHS system of care in the United Kingdom. ⋯ Establishing patients' needs, particularly the extent to which these might be psychosocial rather than physical, could point the way to a more patient-focussed and productive physiotherapy experience. Although rich in-depth information was obtained from this study, caution should be applied in generalizing the findings because of the small sample sizes and the setting of the study within the NHS system of care. Therefore, further work to identify the full spectrum of issues relating to patients' satisfaction with their outpatient care is indicated.
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Physiother Theory Pract · Jan 2007
Satisfaction with outpatient physiotherapy: a survey comparing the views of patients with acute and chronic musculoskeletal conditions.
Patient satisfaction is a complex construct and is regarded as an important component in the assessment of care quality. Investigations into patient satisfaction with care have steadily increased across a range of specialties over the last three decades, but there has been a paucity of studies into satisfaction with physiotherapy. The limitations of previous instruments used to examine satisfaction with outpatient (OP) physiotherapy suggested the need for a new tool. ⋯ Patient satisfaction surveys conducted as part of a continuous quality improvement programme are particularly important in providing therapists with feedback from patients about their experiences of physiotherapy services. This study has successfully used a new questionnaire to examine patients' satisfaction with outpatient physiotherapy in the United Kingdom. Further studies are now needed to validate the new questionnaire so that it can be incorporated into general physiotherapy practice as part of a regular audit programme.