Therapeutic alliance development in physiotherapy and stroke (V.3)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Therapeutic alliance development within the delivery of physiotherapy interventions in stroke rehabilitation.
IRAS ID
310115
Contact name
Ciara Trant
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Leeds
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 1 months, days
Research summary
Therapeutic alliance (TA) refers to the quality of the relationship between a therapist and patient. Research has highlighted the positive link between a strong TA in physiotherapy and treatment outcome. However, there is a lack of clarity regarding how physiotherapists develop a strong TA. Studies note establishing TA within stroke rehabilitation can be harder on account of stroke related difficulties (e.g., communication problems). This study aims to explore TA development within the delivery of physiotherapy interventions in stroke rehabilitation.
I will engage in general ward observations to explore barriers to TA development generally. I plan to observe stroke survivors and physiotherapy staff during physiotherapy sessions, within an inpatient stroke rehabilitation ward and community stroke rehabilitation service within Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust. Observational data will be summarised and used to inform semi-structured interviews with stroke survivors and physiotherapy staff to capture their perspectives on TA development.
Physiotherapy staff who are employed in a participating stroke service and work with stroke survivors will be invited to take part in the study. Similarly, stroke survivors who are aged 16 or over and are currently receiving physiotherapy input in a participating stroke service will be invited to participate.
The time associated with participating in the study is likely to be relatively short for most participants, with the majority of participants engaging in these activities regularly. It is envisaged that observations and interviews will span a number of months (no more than 6 months).
Findings from the study will help us to understand how we can improve training for physiotherapists to maximise TA and potentially improve outcomes for stroke survivors.
This project is being undertaken as part of the researcher’s (Ciara Trant) Doctorate in Clinical Psychology qualification at the University of Leeds.REC name
West Midlands - Solihull Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/WM/0106
Date of REC Opinion
11 May 2022
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion