Introduction to physiotherapy

• Physiotherapy is a health profession that aims to promote optimal health and function through scientific principles applied to examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, and intervention
• Physiotherapists help individuals maintain, restore, and improve movement, activity, and function to enhance health, wellbeing, and quality of life
• Scope of practice:

  • Primary role involves direct patient care
  • Care can be at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels
  • Physiotherapy includes examination, therapeutic interventions, and designing devices and equipment
  • Physiotherapists are involved in prevention, health promotion, wellness services, consultations, education, critical enquiry, and administration
• Patients seek physiotherapy services for disorders to improve function, while clients seek services to maintain health

  • History of physiotherapy includes ancient use of physical measures, development of techniques, and modern practices in Europe and the USA
• Physiotherapy in Ghana:

  • Started in the early 1940s by a British physiotherapist
  • Physiotherapy units established in hospitals across Ghana
  • Government-sponsored students for physiotherapy training in the UK and the Netherlands
  • Physiotherapy services revamped in 1997, with training programs at various universities in Ghana
• Historical Development of Ghana Physiotherapists Association (GPA):

  • Founded in 1975 at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital
  • Aims to protect and promote the interests of physiotherapists and the public
  • Led by elected executives with a Code of Professional ethics
  • Mandatory registration with GPA for all practicing physiotherapists in Ghana
• Patient/client management model involves the process of gathering information, designing a plan of care, and implementing that plan for optimal outcomes
• • Conducting procedures with the patient/client to achieve desired outcomes
  • Subdivided into coordination, communication, and documentation
• Components of patient/client management model:

  • Examination:
  • Gathering information about the past and current status of the patient/client
  • Begins with a history and review of systems
  • Tests and measures are performed to quantify the physical and functional status
  • Evaluation:
  • Clinical judgment based on data gathered through tests and measurements
  • Diagnosis:
  • Categorization of findings from the examination
  • Prognosis:
  • Consideration of future improvement and time necessary to reach that level
  • Intervention:
• Intervention may involve education and instructions for the patient/client and caregivers regarding the plan of care and environmental transitions
• Termination of physio service:

  • Discharge: when goals and outcomes have been achieved
  • Discontinuation: when the patient/client decides to terminate services or when further intervention will not improve the individual's status
  • PT must plan for the end of services and document reasons for termination, status of the patient/client, and any follow-up care that may be necessary
• Communication in physiotherapy practice involves verbal, non-verbal, reading, writing, listening, and electronic modes
• Communication applications in practice:

  • Reading: enables evaluation of professional literature and patient pathology info
  • Writing: necessary for clinical care and communication with other health professionals
  • Listening: foundational communication skill for successful practice
  • Electronic communication: standard modality for conveying information in healthcare settings
• Professional behaviors for the 21st century include critical thinking, problem-solving, interpersonal skills, professionalism, and effective use of time and resources
• Communicating effectively in a multicultural health care environment:

  • Cultural competence is essential for effective cross-cultural interactions
  • Recognize and appreciate cultural differences, educate yourself, and adapt evaluation and intervention accordingly
• Communicating with patients/clients and caregivers involves using lay terminology, asking for goals, using a variety of ways to convey messages, and verifying understanding through speech or demonstration
• Communicating with other members of the health care team includes learning about other disciplines, collaborating with professionals, attending interdisciplinary team meetings, and communicating through delegation
• Health Team is a group of persons with a common health goal or objective determined by community needs
• Each member works/contributes according to his/her competence and skills towards the achievement of the goal
• Each member of the team has an important role
• There is inter-dependence on each other in caring for the patient
• Terminology interchangeable usage:
• Health care team
• Interprofessional team
• Multiprofessional
• Interdisciplinary
• Multidisciplinary
• The multidisciplinary healthcare team involves two or more healthcare professionals with complementary background & skills sharing common health goals
• They exercise physical & mental effort in assessing, planning or evaluating patient care
• This is accomplished through interdependent collaborations, open communication & shared decision making
• They share information not necessarily common understanding & does not follow a general process
• MDT became heralded with the shift from the biomedical model/approach of care to biopsychosocial model of health
• The traditional biomedical model is doctor-centric
• Biopsychosocial model incorporates social, psychological and behavioral dimensions of illness
• Characteristics of a good MDT:
• Positive leadership & management attributes
• Training & development
• Appropriate skill mix
• Supportive team climate
• Individual characteristics that support interdisciplinary teamwork