Improving Home-Based Physical Therapy Treatments: Examining the Doctor-Patient Relationship

Abstract

While recent advancements have been made regarding physical therapy techniques and effectiveness, patient adherence to prescribed home exercise programs (HEPs)--a critical piece of successful physical therapy outcomes--remains low. There is growing evidence that establishing a good relationship and line of communication with patients is just as important as hard skill medical training when trying to improve patient adherence to treatment regimens. As more focus is given to the “human” elements of physical therapy, a vast array of training methods and programs have emerged as educators attempt to prepare their students for a career heavily contingent on creating healthy relationships between patients and their therapist. Unlike previous research meant to evaluate the efficacy of such programs, this study aims through semi-structured interviews to (a) examine the availability of such training in a particular geographic area, and (b) serve as a baseline for future research to gain a comprehensive understanding of the strengths and weaknesses different regions have in terms of relationship and communication training. Findings indicate that in Southwest Missouri, adherence to HEPs matches previous data and that little explicit educational focus is given to improving the doctor-patient relationship. However, interviewees indicated that there are many implicit elements in their education that effectively improved their relationship skills, and that explicit focus is steadily increasing. This study is successful in taking the first step in evaluating what it will take to standardize relationship and communication education among physical therapists.