Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Jan 1;74(1):86-94.
doi: 10.3138/ptc-2020-0060. Epub 2021 Feb 23.

Physiotherapy Practice in Primary Health Care: A Survey of Physiotherapists in Team-Based Primary Care Organizations in Ontario

Kyle Vader  1   2 , Rachelle Ashcroft  3 , Brenna Bath  4 , Simon Décary  5 , Simon Deslauriers  6 , François Desmeules  7 , Catherine Donnelly  1 , Kadija Perreault  6 , Julie Richardson  8 , Sarah Wojkowski  8 , Jordan Miller  1
Affiliations

Physiotherapy Practice in Primary Health Care: A Survey of Physiotherapists in Team-Based Primary Care Organizations in Ontario

Kyle Vader et al. Physiother Can. .

Abstract
in English, French

Purpose: This study describes (1) the current state of physiotherapy practice in team-based primary care organizations in Ontario, (2) the perceived barriers to and facilitators of providing physiotherapy services, and (3) recommendations for improving how these services are provided. Method: This was a cross-sectional, web-based survey. We analyzed the responses using descriptive statistics and summative content analysis. Results: A total of 66 responses were received, and 61 were included in the final analysis. The respondents reported that most of their practice was directed toward musculoskeletal care, followed by multi-system, neurological, and cardiorespiratory conditions, and that most of their direct patient care was focused on in-person, one-to-one assessment or follow-up. Frequently identified barriers to providing physiotherapy services included a lack of space, resources, time, and equipment. The most common facilitators were support from management, recognition and support from other health care providers about the value and role of physiotherapists, and appropriate referrals from other health care providers. The most common recommendation was to increase the physiotherapist-to-patient ratio at primary care sites. Conclusions: Physiotherapists provide care to diverse populations in team-based primary care, which is influenced by specific barriers and facilitators. Our results highlight opportunities for physiotherapists in this context, such as increasing the provision of first-contact care and group-based interventions.

Objectif : décrire 1) l’état actuel de la pratique de la physiothérapie dans les organisations de soins de première ligne en équipe de l’Ontario; 2) les obstacles et les incitations perçus à la prestation des services de physiothérapie et 3) les recommandations pour améliorer le mode de prestation de ces services. Méthodologie : sondage transversal en ligne. Les chercheurs ont évalué les réponses au moyen de l’analyse des statistiques descriptives et du contenu sommatif. Résultats : les chercheurs ont reçu 66 réponses et en ont retenu 61 dans l’analyse définitive. Les répondants ont indiqué que la majorité de leur pratique était axée sur les soins musculosquelettiques, suivie par les affections multisystémiques, neurologiques et cardiorespiratoires, et que la plupart des soins directs aux patients prenaient la forme d’évaluations en personne, d’évaluations individuelles ou de suivis. Les obstacles fréquents à la prestation des services de physiothérapie incluaient le manque d’espace, de ressources, de temps et d’équipement. Les principales incitations étaient le soutien de la direction, la reconnaissance et le soutien des autres travailleurs de la santé quant à l’importance et au rôle des physiothérapeutes et des envois appropriés en physiothérapie de la part des autres travailleurs de la santé. Les recommandations les plus courantes consistaient à accroître le ratio entre le physiothérapeute et les patients dans les établissements de soins de première ligne. Conclusions : les physiothérapeutes donnent des soins à des populations diversifiées dans des équipes de soins de première ligne, lesquels sont influencés par des obstacles et des incitatifs particuliers. Les résultats font ressortir les possibilités qui s’offrent aux physiothérapeutes dans ce contexte, telles que l’accroissement de la prestation de soins de premier contact et d’interventions de groupe.

Keywords: interprofessional relations; patient care team; primary health care; surveys and questionnaires.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Frequency of the physiotherapists’ time spent on non-direct patient care tasks within team-based primary care.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Vos T, Allen C, Arora M, et al. Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 310 diseases and injuries, 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. Lancet. 2016;388(10053):1545–602. 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31678-6. Medline:27733282 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Deslauriers S, Toutant ME, Lacasse M, et al. Integrating physiotherapists into publicly funded primary care: a call to action. Physiother Can. 2017;69(4):275. 10.3138/ptc.69.4.GEE. Medline:30369694 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Starfield B. Primary care: balancing health needs, services, and technology. Oxford (UK): Oxford University Press; 1998.
    1. Greenfield S, Nelson EC, Zubkoff M, et al. Variations in resource utilization among medical specialties and systems of care: results from the Medical Outcomes Study. JAMA. 1992;267(12):1624–30. 10.1001/jama.1992.03480120062034. Medline:1542172 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Chan M. Primary health care as a route to health security. Lancet. 2009;373(9675):1586–7. 10.1016/S0140-6736(09)60003-9. Medline:19150127 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources