Demands for Physiotherapists in the Operational Area of Outpatient Physiotherapy Practice Qualitative Interview Study

Background: At present physiotherapy is characterised by educational system changes. Increasing study program offers represents this rapid academisation progress. One reason for this development is the growing demands in the health-care system caused by demographic changes. Multimorbidity, chronic diseases and increasing costs require new patient-centered structures and concepts of the several health care professionals. The currently valid physiotherapy training and examination regulation's core elements are mainly based on a scientific-technological perspective towards physiotherapeutic practice. The challenging conditions resulting from the definition of physiotherapy as service occupation, however, are hardly or not at all to be found in physiotherapy training and examination regulations. Objective: Identifying requirements of physiotherapists working in the area of outpatient physiotherapy practice. Methods: Five employed physiotherapists with varying professional experience and qualification were interviewed using a guideline-based and problem-centered approach. The collected data was transliterated and evaluated on the basis of the grounded theory. Results: The identified demands can be allocated to 2 topics: determining factors and treatment process. As a consequence of the inconsistency of time schedule and tasks in hand, the determining factors in the area of outpatient physiotherapy are characterised by a constant lack of time. The demands related to the treatment process are due to the interaction between patient and therapist and can be allocated to planning, communication and patient-therapist-relationship. These challenges are closely related and often lead to therapists' overstrain. Conclusions: Interaction is considered to be physiotherapy's central purpose and therefore must be systematically implemented into the pedagogic concept and the methodologic-didactic training. During occupational political decisions physiotherapists must point out the significance of interaction and stipulate the necessary determining factors.