The impact of outcome feedback in Physiotherapy

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Exploration of the impact of feedback of the QuickDASH outcome measure to physiotherapy patients with shoulder impingement syndrome: a qualitative study.

  • IRAS ID

    138955

  • Contact name

    Alison Parish (Dewhurst)

  • Contact email

    acparish@uclan.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University of Central Lancashire

  • Research summary

    In physiotherapy we use basic scoring systems to monitor progress. These are called “outcome assessments”. Assessment scores are created by asking patients to answer a questionnaire about pain, function, strength and symptoms. Data about these assessments in normal practice are usually only used by clinicians and for NHS
    statistics. Also, assessments are usually only done at the start and end of a course of physiotherapy.

    The impact of providing patients with their assessment scores throughout treatment was explored by the Chief Investigator in a pilot study which concluded that providing feedback to NHS physiotherapy patients with shoulder pain was accepted by patients and feasible for use in treatment.

    The proposed study will further explore the impact of providing feedback of assessment scores to patients by providing feedback of assessment scores at each appointment in the NHS and private practice.

    The impact of of providing feedback will be explored and analysed through semistructured interviews with patients and therapists and collection of participant outcome assessment scores. Interviews will discuss areas such as how patients gauge improvement, progress of their scores, goals and how participants used the outcome assessment scores. Therapists will be asked about how they used the scores and how they perceive patients utilised them also.

  • REC name

    West of Scotland REC 5

  • REC reference

    14/WS/1038

  • Date of REC Opinion

    3 Jul 2014

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion