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Room J1,2,3, Martin J1, Archer K4, Boulton M5, Dawes H2, Barker K1,3
1Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Physiotherapy Research Unit, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2Oxford Brookes University, Centre for Movement, Occupational and Rehabilitation Sciences (MOReS), Oxford, United Kingdom, 3Oxford University, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Oxford, United Kingdom, 4Oxford Brookes University, Oxford Institute of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Research (OxINMAHR), Oxford, United Kingdom, 5Oxford Brookes University, Department of Nursing, Oxford, United Kingdom
Background: Exercise is a frequently used and effective treatment modality for many musculoskeletal conditions. One factor that can affect treatment outcomes is adherence to exercise. Previous qualitative work in the area of exercise adherence has focused mainly on patients. However it would also be of value to hear the voice of physiotherapists in order to understand how exercise adherence affects physiotherapy practice, and to consider how future interventions may integrate with current practice in this area.
Purpose: To explore physiotherapists' perceptions of how exercise adherence affects their practice.
Methods: A mixed methods qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and one focus group was undertaken. These were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis on NVIVO.
Results: Ten physiotherapists underwent semi-structured interviews and eight more took part in a focus group. Five themes were generated from the data 1) The challenge of exercise adherence; where exercise adherence is presented as being a challenging aspect of clinical practice. 2) Effects of the challenge; where participants' spoke of the effect exercise adherence has on their daily practice and professional identity. 3) Striving to see the individual; participants spoke at length about the importance of understanding the individual, what is important to them, and what their expectations are. Once this is known the participants described being able to tailor treatments to individuals. 4) Reflection on practice; areas to reflect on current practice were outlined, such as the need for resilience, to know that you can do your best but you can't make someone change their behaviour, in addition to attempting to work collaboratively with the patient, and avoiding the desire to try to fix. 5) Tool kit; participants discussed the use of several tools to attempt to facilitate better exercise adherence. These included trying to facilitate self-efficacy and motivation, goal setting, clinical reasoning, and overcoming barriers.
Conclusion(s): Exercise adherence can be a challenging aspect of clinical practice. Acknowledging this challenge and remaining resilient may be important.
Implications: These results outline how a group of physiotherapists attempted to deal with the challenge of exercise adherence in their clinical practice. Their views may be helpful to other physiotherapists who have to deal with the same challenge. There remains a need to consider how physiotherapists can be helped in the area of exercise adherence. Future research may want to consider the views expressed in this study, and how it might help to inform future interventions.
Keywords: Exercise adherence, Behaviour Change, Qualitative
Funding acknowledgements: This work was funded by MOReS, Oxford Brookes University and The Physiotherapy Research Unit, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, OUH NHS FT
Purpose: To explore physiotherapists' perceptions of how exercise adherence affects their practice.
Methods: A mixed methods qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and one focus group was undertaken. These were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis on NVIVO.
Results: Ten physiotherapists underwent semi-structured interviews and eight more took part in a focus group. Five themes were generated from the data 1) The challenge of exercise adherence; where exercise adherence is presented as being a challenging aspect of clinical practice. 2) Effects of the challenge; where participants' spoke of the effect exercise adherence has on their daily practice and professional identity. 3) Striving to see the individual; participants spoke at length about the importance of understanding the individual, what is important to them, and what their expectations are. Once this is known the participants described being able to tailor treatments to individuals. 4) Reflection on practice; areas to reflect on current practice were outlined, such as the need for resilience, to know that you can do your best but you can't make someone change their behaviour, in addition to attempting to work collaboratively with the patient, and avoiding the desire to try to fix. 5) Tool kit; participants discussed the use of several tools to attempt to facilitate better exercise adherence. These included trying to facilitate self-efficacy and motivation, goal setting, clinical reasoning, and overcoming barriers.
Conclusion(s): Exercise adherence can be a challenging aspect of clinical practice. Acknowledging this challenge and remaining resilient may be important.
Implications: These results outline how a group of physiotherapists attempted to deal with the challenge of exercise adherence in their clinical practice. Their views may be helpful to other physiotherapists who have to deal with the same challenge. There remains a need to consider how physiotherapists can be helped in the area of exercise adherence. Future research may want to consider the views expressed in this study, and how it might help to inform future interventions.
Keywords: Exercise adherence, Behaviour Change, Qualitative
Funding acknowledgements: This work was funded by MOReS, Oxford Brookes University and The Physiotherapy Research Unit, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, OUH NHS FT
Topic: Musculoskeletal; Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing; Professional practice: other
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: Oxford Brookes University
Ethics committee: Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Research Ethics Committee
Ethics number: 2017/07
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
