Exploring what is successful recovery following musculoskeletal trauma

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  What constitutes successful recovery following musculoskeletal trauma? A qualitative study of patient and physiotherapists’ perceptions

• IRAS ID

  287781

• Contact name

  Gillian Yeowell

• Contact email

  g.yeowell@mmu.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  Manchester Metropolitan University

• Duration of Study in the UK

  1 years, 6 months, 2 days

• Research summary

  Background
  Every year, it is estimated 20,000 people experience bone and soft tissue injuries resulting from a traumatic accident, for example a road traffic accident. Traumatic injuries cost the United Kingdom an estimated £3.3 billion in lost economic output.

  Recovering from a traumatic injury can take a long time, with more than 60% of people experiencing pain one year after injury. Physiotherapy is key in helping people recover from their injuries, with rehabilitation recommended in national guidelines for people with more severe injuries as standard.

  There is limited research investigating patients and physiotherapists views of what is defined as successful recovery, and importantly their journey from onset of injury through to longer-term recovery.

  Aim
  This study will explore patient and physiotherapists’ views and perceptions on the definition of recovery, and what successful recovery means and whether perception of recovery changes over time

  Methods
  We will use:
  1] Semi-structured interviews with patients who have sustained a traumatic injury (e.g. broken bones) to explore their views of recovery. Interviews will be conducted at 4 weeks, 6 and 12 months post injury.
  2] Focus groups to explore physiotherapists’ views across varying levels of physiotherapist experience

  Data analysis
  Interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) will be used for the patient interviews to explore and gain an in depth understanding of patients views on recovery. Thematic analysis will be used to evaluate the focus groups.

  Clinical Implications
  Defining and understanding recovery will allow physiotherapists to tailor rehabilitation to individual patients as well as to understand whether current measurement methods such as questionnaire’s capture the meaning of recovery. This in turn allows for more optimal recovery and satisfaction for patients, with resultant healthcare and socio-economic benefits.

  Lay summary of study results: The aim of this study was to explore what patients and physiotherapists think recovery means and what they believe makes recovery successful, from the time of injury to later stages after musculoskeletal trauma.

  Every patient went through a similar recovery process, no matter how severe their injury was or how it happened. Recovery meant the body getting better, dealing with negative feelings, and returning to hobbies and life. The meaning of recovery changed over time with various factors influencing their recovery, some helpful like having a support network, and others hindering like poor communication. Over time, recovery became more personalised, with success often meaning getting back to normal life. Recovering was often seen as a life changing experience, and it involved changing how people saw themselves and their place in society. Three to six months after injury are crucial for recovery, but support is often lacking during this period.

  The physiotherapists recognised that recovery is a process where communication and listening to the patient are vital. Recovery is influenced by both patient-specific factors and broader system issues, like limited resources. There are challenges in using certain questionnaires to measure recovery because there is no agreement on what should be measured.

  This study has helped us to understand patient and physiotherapists understanding of recovery and factors which influence the recovery process. More research is needed to find the best ways to support patients throughout their journey, especially three to six months following their injury.
  

• REC name

  London - Fulham Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  20/PR/0712

• Date of REC Opinion

  27 Nov 2020

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion