Rasmussen Barr E.1, Juriska M.2, von Knorring M.2
1Karolinska Instiutet, Neruobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Physiotherapy, Stockholm, Sweden, 2Karolinska Institutet, Medical Management Center, Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics, Stockholm, Sweden
Background: Health care is moving towards patients centered and integrated care thus opportunities arise for health care professionals to leave the clinical assignment and enter into medical management, often without formal training in leadership. In primary health care the clinician has the responsibility for the excellence of care, the patient's outcome and the evidence informed practice. The primary role of a physiotherapist is to pedagogically help people to change and develop. “Leadership can happen at anytime, anywhere and in any function” as stated by Kouzes and Posner. With focus on leadership in health care some specific theories well suited to the context are proposed relevant; the transformational, the situational and the adaptive leadership. While leadership and management are increasingly studied among health professionals in general, leadership in relation to the physiotherapy profession remains under-researched.
Purpose: We aimed in a qualitative study to investigate how aspects of leadership are inherent in the physiotherapy profession.
Methods: A qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews was conducted. Ten physiotherapists, 7 female and 3 men, working in primary health care in different parts of Sweden were included. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using inductive content analysis. We analyzed the data with a pre-understanding of current leadership theories proposed in medical management.
Results: Three themes in how leadership is inherent in the physiotherapy profession were identified. The PTs described in the adaptive approach how they adapt and level with the patient and act professionally to create trust. In the coaching approach, the PTs described how they observe, support and coach to direct the patient towards a goal. In the steering approach the PTs described how they handle both successful and less such meetings by steering the patient in the right direction in a positive authoritarian way. The PTs expressed that these leadership aspects would be useful in a managerial position.
Conclusion(s): Our findings when interviewing physiotherapists in primary care in Sweden is that aspects of leadership is inherent in the profession through an adaptive, coaching and a steering approach to work. As physiotherapists in primary health care perceive themselves as leaders, working in medical management might be a possible career way. Future studies are needed to confirm our findings and to study how physiotherapists in various clinical assignments use aspects of leadership.
Implications: The knowledge how aspects of leadership is inherent in the profession of physiotherapy needs to be more acknowledged. To educate and inform about the findings from the current study may reinforce PTs to rethink career paths or to reinforce them in their leadership working with patients. It is also important to with the current findings enable programs of leadership as curriculum in physiotherapy programs or for graduated physiotherapist to consider various professional careers compared to more traditional.
Funding acknowledgements: Swedish association of physiotherapy
Topic: Professional issues
Ethics approval: Ethic application and approval is given by the Ethical committee at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm. Dnr 2015/196-31/5
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
