Sustainability of a rehabilitation self-management program ('My Therapy') 6 months post implementation.
Sara L Whittaker, Keith D Hill, Nicholas F Taylor and 2 others
PMID 40491161WHAT IT FOUND
Six months post-trial, 41% of patients received the self-management program.
Therapists valued it but lacked time and confidence with unmotivated patients. Reach dropped from 68% during the trial, suggesting ongoing support is needed to sustain practice changes.
Key findings
01My Therapy reach dropped to 41% of patients six months after the trial ended, compared to 68% during the trial.
02Therapists reported lower confidence delivering the program when patients lacked motivation or when clinical time was limited.
03Barriers to sustaining the program included staff turnover requiring re-orientation, difficulties with the online platform, and the time taken to customize activities for complex patients.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The therapist response rate was low (13 of 40), which may introduce responder bias. The patient audit was cross-sectional, capturing only a single day six months post-trial, which may not reflect typical practice patterns. The survey tool was not formally pilot-tested. The study did not measure patient outcomes or adherence to the prescribed programs, only their prescription.
Declared interests
The authors declare no competing interests. Funding was provided by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the 41% prescription rate means patients actually completed the exercises or that the program was effective. This study measured only whether therapists wrote the plan, not whether patients used it or improved.