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K. Areskoug Josefsson1,2,3, H. Gerbild4,5
1Faculty of Health Studies, VID Specialized University, Sandnes, Norway, 2Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway, 3Jönköping University, Jönköping Academy for Improvement of Health and Welfare, Jönköping, Sweden, 4UCL University College Lillebaelt, Vejle, Denmark, 5Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Background: Working with taboo-topics like rehabilitation of sexual health, there can be individual, educational, cultural and societal barriers that need to be overcome. Physiotherapists may experience lack of basic education and competence in the field as well as feeling risks of crossing personal boundaries and embarrassing clients. However, since sexual health is an important part of general health, avoidance to promote and rehabilitate sexual health can decrease individuals´ quality of life. Previous research has shown that physiotherapy interventions like physical activity, information and body awareness can reduce sexual dysfunctions, improve sexual health and thereby quality of life. Due to the sensitivity of the topic and users´ needs being insufficiently met, there is a need for both individual and organizational strategies to overcome barriers towards sexual health rehabilitation in physiotherapy. Co-production can be an enabler towards improved physiotherapy service and patient outcomes, also concerning sensitive issues like sexual health rehabilitation.
Purpose: The purpose is to provide support for improved sexual health rehabilitation by presenting practical examples built on a co-produced model useful for physiotherapy practice.
Methods: The discussed model is based on previous research in the field, theories of improvement science and co-production, as well as experiences from practice and teaching. Examples from clinical practice will be provided, together with reflections of the usefulness of the model in various contexts.
Results: The conceptual model shows the importance of acknowledging the different roles of the user, the physiotherapist and the organization, together with the context where the rehabilitation takes place. Ethics, knowledge about sexuality and sexual health, attitudes and communicative skills are keys to being able to co-produce to improve sexual health rehabilitation. Improving sexual health rehabilitation is not only the individual physiotherapists’ responsibility, but should be addressed with a systems´ perspective, including the organization and clients in the actual context of rehabilitation.
Conclusion(s): The conceptual model can be used as tool for finding service gaps and improving physiotherapy service but demands an openness of physiotherapists´ own attitudes and competence in the field of sexual health. To be able to coproduce to improve sexual health rehabilitation all actors should be invited and share responsibility for improvement.
Implications: Physiotherapists should be aware of their own competence and attitudes to provide and address sexual health rehabilitation interventions in practice. Changes to improve services in this field should be co-produced with users and the organization to ensure best possible outcome.
Funding, acknowledgements: The project has not received funding.
Keywords: Improvement, Professional Development, Sexual Health Rehabilitation
Topic: Professionalism & ethics
Did this work require ethics approval? No
Institution: Not applicable.
Committee: Not applicable.
Reason: Conceptual work does not need ethical approval in Sweden.
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
