Last modified: 2022-10-05
Abstract
Background and Purpose
In Benin, physiotherapy is prescribed by physicians. Physiotherapist and physician are therefore in daily contact at their work place. Physiotherapist after receiving the patient, assesses the patient and makes a diagnosis which allows him to make an appropriate choice of means and techniques of patient care.
Knowing that the type of relationship between these two professionals could influence the quality of their services, the purpose of this study was to determine the professional relationships between physicians and physiotherapists in Cotonou and to evaluate the factors that influence them.
Relevance:
This study will determine the factors influencing physician-physiotherapist relationship in Cotonou. The results will serve as baseline data which can be used to improve this relationship for better patient care
Participants / Subjects:
One hundred and four subjects (physician: n = 70 and physiotherapist: n = 34) who met the inclusion criteria participated in this study.
Methods:
It is a cross-sectional analytical and descriptive study carried out in five hospitals, four clinics and two cabinets randomly selected from health centers of Cotonou who gave their authorization. The professionals working in these centers were chosen according to the following criteria: 1- to be a physician prescribing physiotherapy treatment; 2- to be a physiotherapist in activity and receiving medical prescriptions of physiotherapy; 3- freely give informed consent. By appointment, the subjects were met and submitted to a self-administered questionnaire. The dependent variable is the relationship type.
Analysis:
The data was entered and verified and analyzed in the EpiInfo software version 7.2.1.0. The qualitative variables were presented as a percentage and the quantitative variables as average, mode, median. A correlational analysis was done to determine the factors influencing the type of relationship. Significant values were set at p≤0.05.
Results:
Half of the participants were female; 77.88% work at hospital and 60.57% in the public sector. The cooperation type relationship is the most observed interaction model between physicians and physiotherapists (51.23%). Parameters such as objective (45.19%), functioning model (86.54%), communication (65.38%) and recognition (47.12%) were the most underlined in this type of relationship. Regardless of the place of practice, cooperation remains the most represented model (hospital 48.48%, clinic 52.94%, cabinet 50%) and seems to concern more men (55.22%) than women (44.23%). The opposite is observed with collaboration and co-activity. Physicians think that the type of relationships is more cooperation and co-activity than collaboration. Note that 57.14% of participants think this is a relationship to improve. Correlational analysis showed no significant relationship between the factors (sex: X2=1.52, dd1=2, p=0.50, activity sector: X2=1.06, dd1=4, p=0.90, place of exercise: X2=0.58 ddl=4, p> 0.90, occupation: X2=0.74, ddl=2, p=0.90 and seniority in the profession: X2=5.17, ddl=4, p=0.30)
Conclusion
This study revealed that Cooperation is the dominant type of relationship between physicians and physiotherapists in Cotonou. No factor influences this relationship. A larger study is needed to confirm or refute our results.