Physiotherapists' role in physical activity promotion: Qualitative reflections of patients and providers.
Jacob J Corey, Celina H Shirazipour, Moni Fricke and 1 others
PMID 35129059WHAT IT FOUND
Physiotherapists and patients valued individualized activity plans, but many patients received generic home exercise programs.
Few therapists connected patients to community activity options, often citing cost, transport, and limited local programs.
Key findings
01Individualized physical activity promotion was valued by therapists and patients, but patients often described receiving home exercise programs with little personalization and feeling excluded from setting goals.
02Eight of nine therapists stressed home exercise programs when community options seemed limited, and only three therapists mentioned community engagement beyond their clinical role.
03Two therapists followed up after discharge, and patients who received follow-up reported greater motivation to stay active; only one patient described a therapy-prompted connection to a community program.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The sample was small and purposive, with 9 therapists and 8 patients, so the findings are experiences and perceptions rather than generalizable patterns. Therapists and patients were not matched pairs, so the study cannot show how the same therapy relationship worked from both sides. The patient group was mostly inactive, and few had community program experience, which limits insight into successful pathways from therapy to community activity. The research team included physiotherapy students, educators, and advocates for physical activity, which may shape how themes were framed. No measured physical activity outcomes were reported, so the study cannot show whether any strategy improved activity levels.
Declared interests
No funding or conflict of interest declaration is included in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as proof that community referrals improve physical activity. This is an interview study of experiences, not a trial of outcomes.