Communication in musculoskeletal physiotherapy consultations V1.4
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring communication within primary care musculoskeletal physiotherapy consultations.
IRAS ID
328310
Contact name
Christopher Horler
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Southampton
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Three out of ten people in the United Kingdom have a nerve, muscle, or joint related health problem known as a musculoskeletal condition. Health professionals often provide information to patients about what to expect from their condition and what action they should take if their condition worsens. Providing patients with clear advice about how to monitor their condition and when to seek further medical help if their symptoms change or fail to improve is known as safety-netting. The aim of safety-netting is to improve the person's chance of a better recovery and reduce the risk of harm by helping them seek prompt treatment. Whilst safety-netting is recognised as an important part of physiotherapy practice, there is little research to help clinicians know how best to communicate the information to patients with musculoskeletal conditions.
The project aims to understand how physiotherapists are communicating safety-netting information to patients with musculoskeletal conditions in physiotherapy practice within England.
The research will be conducted across NHS organisations and GP practices in three different counties in England to compare similarities and differences in practice across settings. We will observe physiotherapy consultations, interview patients and physiotherapists, look at written safety-netting information given to patients and use questionnaires to explore the patients' experience of the consultations.
We will use the findings to develop ways to improve safety-netting in physiotherapy practice to improve patient safety and the patient’s ability to manage their musculoskeletal condition. This will include guidance and training for physiotherapists to support them to effectively provide safety-netting information. We will then be able to test whether these resources improve patient care during future research.
REC name
HSC REC B
REC reference
25/NI/0100
Date of REC Opinion
25 Jun 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion