Views of general practitioners toward physiotherapy management of osteoarthritis—a qualitative study

OKWERA, Andrew and MAY, Stephen (2018). Views of general practitioners toward physiotherapy management of osteoarthritis—a qualitative study. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice.

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Abstract

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a major cause of pain and physical disability, and general practitioners (GPs) are usually the first point of contact for patients. Physiotherapy has been shown as effective in the management of lower-limb OA. The aim was to explore the beliefs of GPs on the physiotherapy management of lower-limb OA in primary care. Methods: This is a qualitative study evaluating GP views about physiotherapy in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK. Participating GPs were recruited by systematic sampling, and invitation was given to GPs in 10 practices in the four localities in Sheffield. Semistructured interviews were completed and framework analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: Eight GPs were interviewed and six themes emerged from analysis of the data: perspective on OA, management strategy, views on patients, views on physiotherapy, working collaboratively, and suggestions for service improvements. GPs had a positive impression and knowledge of physiotherapy, but lacked understanding of the processes involved in treatment and limited awareness of clinical guidelines regarding the management of OA. Improvements in communication and collaborative working were critical issues suggested by the participants. Conclusion: This study found that GPs who were interviewed had a limited understanding on the role of physiotherapists and of clinical guidelines. Interprofessional communication was not as good as it should have been. A reconfiguration of the Sheffield musculoskeletal pathway may help achieve more effective collaborative working and a better outcome for patients.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	** From Crossref via Jisc Publications Router.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation
Departments - Does NOT include content added after October 2018:	Health and Well-being > Department of Allied Health Professions
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1080/09593985.2018.1459987
SWORD Depositor:	Margaret Boot
Depositing User:	Margaret Boot
Date Deposited:	24 Apr 2018 08:56
Last Modified:	18 Mar 2021 05:27
URI:	https://shura.shu.ac.uk/id/eprint/20918

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