Your Patients often don’t do the Exercises you’ve prescribed for them?
When presenting various ‘Going Global’ courses, I teach Physiotherapists how to identify the source of the presenting problem and then manage the problem holistically, using various models to prescribe a prescriptive rehabilitation program. During these 2 day workshops Physiotherapists often ask me ‘But how do you get your patient to be compliant & perform their Home Exercise Program?’
Here are my top 3 most important tips to create patient compliancy and engagement and enthusiasm towards performing the prescriptive rehabilitation program you have devised, eager for the next exercise progression along the pathway towards full recovery.
1: Develop Trust
Trust develops from a combination of the Therapists Character (integrity, motive, and intent) and Competence (capabilities, skills, results, and track record). Being Trustworthy requires that the Therapist has a fluid approach to communication. Listen to your patient. Develop an understanding of their needs & personal goals. Involve the patient in decision-making, respecting that they are individuals with their own unique preferences.
2: Develop Patient Buy-in & Engagement
Don’t let your exercise program be ‘Clinician Driven’, where you are pushing the patient down the rehab pathway. If you are coercing your patient to do their exercises, that is unceasing hard, exhausting, and frustrating work. A Clinician Driven program is where you expect people to do what you tell them to do, which is often not what they want to do, not understanding Why they should be doing it.
Rather, educate & impart meaningful knowledge to your patient, so that they are fully informed. By gifting them with valuable and helpful knowledge, you are enhancing their Trust in you. Explain their pathology or condition using various animated Apps (3D Anatomy), Charts or Models. Show them the steps along the Pathway to full recovery, making them excited about the voyage to full rehabilitation and achieving their personal goals.
3: Use a Prescriptive high quality Home Exercise Software Program
Prescribe an exercise program that is shared with them so that they can open it on their smartphone, computer, or other smart device. It should be full of professional images, videos and concise instructions and descriptions. It should allow you to progress both the exercises as well as variables that increase loading progressively (repetitions, weight, speed etc.) This gives the patient confidence that you are up to date with current concepts and have the right skills and capabilities to help them. Consider how the use of outdated stick figure drawings reduces patients’ confidence and trust compared to using professionally designed resources.
I hope reading this has been helpful. Think about implementing these tips to enhance patient compliancy and engagement, with improved eagerness towards performing their prescriptive rehabilitation program.
