Patients’ Physical Therapy Care Preferences
Contact Name: Jodi Young
Contact Email: jodi.young@bellincollege.edu
Title: What are patients’ physical therapy care preferences and what care do physical therapists assume patients will prefer?
Ideal Participant: PT, CI, SCCE
Description: Patient preferences play an important role in physical therapy care for musculoskeletal conditions. Provider preferences have been shown to be associated with patients’ pain and disability outcomes. There is a dearth of evidence related to the relationships between patients’ care preferences and the physical therapist’s assumption about what those preferences are. There is also limited evidence in how patient preferences differ in those who have co-morbid yellow flags, or psychological or social risk factors involving maladaptive cognitions, fears, and beliefs about pain and the consequences of pain related to work and daily activities. This study intends to address this knowledge gap by surveying patients and physical therapists about patients’ preferences for physical therapy care. These surveys will be analyzed to assess the magnitude in the relationship between patients’ care preferences and the care physical therapists assume patients will prefer.