Physiotherapy practice in lymphoedema in South Africa: A survey.
Carys A Rhodes, Corlia Brandt, Monique Keller
PMID 37928646WHAT IT FOUND
Most surveyed physiotherapists in South Africa could identify lymphoedema, but only 49.7% knew how to treat it and 31% offered complete decongestive therapy.
Referrals were low, and this treatment was uncommon.
Key findings
0185.1% of physiotherapists could identify lymphoedema, but only 49.7% said they knew how to treat it.
02Only 31% (40 of 129) of physiotherapists managing lymphoedema offered complete decongestive therapy.
0361.0% of 146 respondents reported receiving fewer than one new lymphoedema referral in a month.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Participants were volunteers recruited through professional emails and social media, so they may not represent all South African physiotherapists. The survey measured self-reported knowledge and practice, not tested competence or patient outcomes. Response rates were inconsistent across questions, and only respondents who managed lymphoedema answered later sections. The findings are specific to South Africa and may not apply to other health systems.
Declared interests
No funding or conflicts of interest were reported in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude from the low referral numbers that lymphoedema is rare in South Africa. The paper says lymphoedema is under-reported and under-diagnosed, and the survey measured only physiotherapists' reported referrals.