Quality aspects of hospital-based physiotherapy from the perspective of key stakeholders: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND: For the design of a robust quality system for hospital-based physiotherapy, it is important to know what key stakeholders consider quality to be. OBJECTIVE: To explore key stakeholders’ views on quality of hospital-based physiotherapy. METHODS: We conducted 53 semi-structured interviews with 62 representatives of five key stakeholder groups of hospital-based physiotherapy: medical specialists, hospital managers, boards of directors, multidisciplinary colleagues and patients. Audio recordings of these interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed with thematic analysis. RESULTS: According to the interviewees, quality of hospital-based physiotherapy is characterised by: (1) a human approach, (2) context-specific and up-to-date applicable knowledge and expertise, (3) providing the right care in the right place at the right time, (4) a proactive departmental policy in which added value for the hospital is transparent, (5) professional development and innovation based on a vision on science and developments in healthcare, (6) easy access and awareness of one’s own and others’ position within the interdisciplinary cooperation and (7) ensuring a continuum of care with the inclusion of preclinical and postclinical care of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Important quality aspects in the perspective of all stakeholders were an expertise that matches the specific pathology of the patient, the hospital-based physiotherapist being a part of the care team, and the support and supervision of all patients concerning physical functioning during the hospitalisation period. Whereas patients mainly mentioned the personal qualities of the physiotherapist, the other stakeholders mainly focused on professional and organisational factors. The results of this study offer opportunities for hospital-based physiotherapy to improve the quality of provided care seen from the perspective of key stakeholders.