A qualitative study into Egyptian patients' satisfaction with physiotherapy management of low back pain

Background and purpose - There is strong evidence suggesting that patient satisfaction may improve therapy outcomes independent of the treatment given. Thus the aim of this study is to explore Egyptian patients' expectations and satisfaction with physical therapy management of low back pain. Methods - A qualitative study design involving two focus groups and 10 semi-structured interviews; all discussions were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using a Framework analysis approach. Results - The five final themes were about outcome of the treatment episode, the therapist characteristics, their ability to provide patient education, the service provision and involvement in the decision-making process. Conclusion - The therapeutic encounter between patients and therapists in an episode of back care is complex and reflects the multidimensional nature of patient satisfaction. Participants had several criteria according to which they evaluated the quality of care and were able to determine when these criteria were met or not during physiotherapy