Bertrand Elisma P1, Belfort Florville M1, Eliacin J1
1Societe Haitienne de Physiotherapie, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Background: Physiotherapy is one of a range of rehabilitation activities, based on the use of physical agents, exercise and massage. The beneficial effects allow people to enjoy optimal physical functions. In Haiti, physiotherapy is new and not well understood by the general public or other health care providers. However, physiotherapists often find themselves facing challenges related to deeply embedded traditional Haitian cultural beliefs. That cause, Haitians may behave differently in their choice of health service, based on traditional conceptions of illness and treatment.
Purpose: This study was carried out to demonstrate and document the impact of Haitian culture on the practice of physiotherapy given to Haitian clients
Methods: A qualitative exploratory approach was conducted to understand the cultural impacts on physiotherapy care given to Haitian clients and the consequences on the administration services. First, the literature of Haitian culture and especially the specific religious beliefs of Haitians that may have an influence on the provision of physiotherapy care in the country was examined
Research was conducted using a qualitative exploratory approach to understand the
Next, Haitian physiotherapists and patients were asked to respond to a questionnaire via an interview led by the investigator.
Results: Physiotherapists (n=14) and Haitian patients (n=55) have good communication .The majority of patients (n=30) are referred by physicians and a large proportion of them admit that their condition is natural (n=45/n=5), which differs somewhat from the responses of physiotherapists who report that they often report traditional and supernatural causes during their physiotherapeutic evaluation (n=6/n=5).According to physiotherapists, the majority of Haitian patients associate physiotherapy with sports (n=5), traditional and massage therapies (n=4.5). Both groups tend to agree on the choice of physiotherapists provided by the hospital (n=30) and (n=6) who must, however, respect and accept the religious and traditional beliefs of recipients at the time of treatment (n=25) and (n=9)
Conclusion(s): The results reveal a different reality from what Haitian literature has sometimes taught, that the first resort of Haitian patients suffering from a disease is to traditional practitioners (voodoo priests, pastors etc.),depending on their belief. According to these same results, the first evaluation of the majority of patients is made by a medical doctor who refers them to physiotherapy.
At the same time, the acceptance and desire of patients to feel the manual contact of physiotherapists can be explained by the similarity of some methods used in physiotherapy with traditional practice such as massage therapy, the use of oil, mobilizations and manual slips.
Thus, we can conclude that there is an important link between the culture and the practice of physiotherapy in Haiti.
Implications: This study highlights the importance and implication of Haitian culture in the practice of physiotherapy. This strategy will not only lead to effectiveness in desired treatments but will also help physiotherapists to know the expectations of Haitian patients from the cultural and traditional point of view.
This article also highlights some Keys areas that may lead to other areas of research in the future such as "How and Why to Incorporate National Color into Physiotherapy Practice in Haiti"
Keywords: Cultural Influences, Physiotherapy Care, Haitian Culture
Funding acknowledgements: Haitian Society of Physiotherapy
Purpose: This study was carried out to demonstrate and document the impact of Haitian culture on the practice of physiotherapy given to Haitian clients
Methods: A qualitative exploratory approach was conducted to understand the cultural impacts on physiotherapy care given to Haitian clients and the consequences on the administration services. First, the literature of Haitian culture and especially the specific religious beliefs of Haitians that may have an influence on the provision of physiotherapy care in the country was examined
Research was conducted using a qualitative exploratory approach to understand the
Next, Haitian physiotherapists and patients were asked to respond to a questionnaire via an interview led by the investigator.
Results: Physiotherapists (n=14) and Haitian patients (n=55) have good communication .The majority of patients (n=30) are referred by physicians and a large proportion of them admit that their condition is natural (n=45/n=5), which differs somewhat from the responses of physiotherapists who report that they often report traditional and supernatural causes during their physiotherapeutic evaluation (n=6/n=5).According to physiotherapists, the majority of Haitian patients associate physiotherapy with sports (n=5), traditional and massage therapies (n=4.5). Both groups tend to agree on the choice of physiotherapists provided by the hospital (n=30) and (n=6) who must, however, respect and accept the religious and traditional beliefs of recipients at the time of treatment (n=25) and (n=9)
Conclusion(s): The results reveal a different reality from what Haitian literature has sometimes taught, that the first resort of Haitian patients suffering from a disease is to traditional practitioners (voodoo priests, pastors etc.),depending on their belief. According to these same results, the first evaluation of the majority of patients is made by a medical doctor who refers them to physiotherapy.
At the same time, the acceptance and desire of patients to feel the manual contact of physiotherapists can be explained by the similarity of some methods used in physiotherapy with traditional practice such as massage therapy, the use of oil, mobilizations and manual slips.
Thus, we can conclude that there is an important link between the culture and the practice of physiotherapy in Haiti.
Implications: This study highlights the importance and implication of Haitian culture in the practice of physiotherapy. This strategy will not only lead to effectiveness in desired treatments but will also help physiotherapists to know the expectations of Haitian patients from the cultural and traditional point of view.
This article also highlights some Keys areas that may lead to other areas of research in the future such as "How and Why to Incorporate National Color into Physiotherapy Practice in Haiti"
Keywords: Cultural Influences, Physiotherapy Care, Haitian Culture
Funding acknowledgements: Haitian Society of Physiotherapy
Topic: Professional issues
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: Haitian Society of Physiotherapy
Ethics committee: Haitian Society of Physiotherapy
Ethics number: 50944589131
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
