The physiotherapy consultation: A qualitative study of the experience of parents of infants with cystic fibrosis in Australia.

Publisher: Informa Healthcare Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 9015520 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1532-5040 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 09593985 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Physiother Theory Pract Subsets: MEDLINE

Publication: London : Informa Healthcare
Original Publication: London, UK ; Hillsdale, N.J. : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, c1990-

Cystic Fibrosis*/psychology ; Cystic Fibrosis*/therapy ; Parents*/education ; Parents*/psychology ; Physical Therapy Modalities*/education ; Physical Therapy Modalities*/psychology ; Physical Therapy Modalities*/standards ; Caregivers*/education ; Caregivers*/psychology ; Communication*; Humans ; Infant ; Australia ; Qualitative Research ; Referral and Consultation ; Hermeneutics ; Child, Preschool ; Professional-Family Relations ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Motivation

Background: Physiotherapy is an essential component in the management of cystic fibrosis (CF).
Objective: To explore how parents of infants with CF experience physiotherapy clinic consultations.
Methods: A qualitative study, informed by hermeneutic phenomenology, utilizing in-depth semi-structured interviews and daily diaries was conducted with 13 parents of infants (aged 0-2 yrs.) receiving physiotherapy care for CF in Australia.
Results: Three themes arose from the text. The first was that parents' physiotherapy clinic experience is influenced by the manner in which health professionals communicate to parents about physiotherapy in CF, as well as their own prior experience and knowledge. Secondly, parents receive conflicting messages from the physiotherapy consultation, but perceive the key message to be to prioritize adherence to physiotherapy. The final theme was that parents' expectations of the physiotherapy interaction were often not met, in particular a lack of practical physiotherapy education and training was reported.
Conclusion: Parents of infants with CF seek an optimistic, practical and hands on approach during physiotherapy consultations. Exploring options for providing physiotherapy input outside of traditional clinic environments may help accommodate individual needs. Investigation into the manner in which physiotherapy education is communicated to parents is warranted in light of the influence on parents' expectations of physiotherapy.

Keywords: Cystic fibrosis; caregivers; health education; infant; patient-centered care; physical therapists

Date Created: 20220119 Date Completed: 20230308 Latest Revision: 20230308

20240628

10.1080/09593985.2021.2023932

35042441