Quality improvement in physiotherapy services
International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance
ISSN: 0952-6862
Article publication date: 12 June 2017
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate a process change in physiotherapy services and to explore factors that may have influenced the outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a multiple case study and information was gathered from eight physiotherapy teams over 24 months.
Findings
The process change was successfully implemented in six teams. It had a clear, positive effect on service quality provided to patients in three teams. Whilst quality also improved in three other teams, other issues make changes difficult to assess. Factors that enabled process change to be effective are suggested.
Research limitations/implications
The findings are based on results achieved by only eight English teams.
Practical implications
This process change may be appropriate for other teams providing therapy services if attention is paid to potential enabling factors, and a learning approach is adopted to designing and introducing the change.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no other longitudinal process change study in therapy services has been published.
Keywords
Citation
Boak, G., Sephton, R., Hough, E. and ten Hove, R. (2017), "Quality improvement in physiotherapy services", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 30 No. 5, pp. 424-435. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHCQA-05-2016-0066
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited