Relationships Between Physiotherapists' Level of Contact, Cultural Awareness and Communication with Bangladeshi Patients in Two Health Authorities

doi:10.1016/S0031-9406(05)66793-4

Physiotherapy

Volume 81, Issue 6, June 1995, Pages 330-337

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9406(05)66793-4 Get rights and content

Summary

A questionnaire survey of all physiotherapists employed by two health authorities was undertaken in order to assess their contact, general knowledge and attitudes with regard to Bangladeshi patients. The findings indicated that contact with Bangladeshi people increased awareness of their culture and customs but this did not result in fewer problems in their physiotherapy management. Communication was found to be the greatest problem and more qualified interpreters and cultural awareness training are suggested as solutions.

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Citation Excerpt :
Jaggi and Bithell [24], who surveyed physiotherapists’ knowledge and attitudes in relation to Bangladeshi patients in two UK health authorities, also found that communication was the greatest issue amongst therapists, with many feeling that they could not communicate effectively with their Bangladeshi patients. However, their findings did reveal an improving picture in comparison with earlier research [24]. Whilst this may be the case, the findings from this research suggest that, from the patient's perspective, there is still some way to go before this need is met.
To gain an insight into the needs of female Pakistani service users in relation to physiotherapy.
A qualitative research design was utilised, drawing on ethnographic traditions and including ethnographic interviews. The interviews were transcribed and the data were analysed using thematic analysis.
A venue of the service user's own choosing in one geographical area of the North west of England.
Six, Pakistani, Muslim female patients who had recently received physiotherapy from a range of specialisms. Five participants came to the UK from Pakistan, and one participant of Pakistani heritage came to the UK from East Africa. An interpreter was used in four of the six interviews.
Four main themes emerged from data analysis: issues of gender; language issues including the subthemes of crosscultural communication, time and materials; role of exercise; and acquiescence.
It appears that physiotherapy provision for female patients with Pakistani backgrounds may be failing to meet their needs, which may affect compliance. In order to address these issues, culturally competent health care needs to be provided and the following points are worthy of consideration:
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  offering service users the choice of gender of therapist and, where appropriate, the provision of single-sex exercise group sessions;
- •
  longer appointment times for service users where English is not their first language, and the recruitment of bilingual therapists. Written instructions, in English, with pictures should be provided;
- •
  therapists should have some understanding of the culture of their local community to enable them to incorporate the patient's culture into their management; and
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  there may be a need to explore service provision where a high proportion of female Pakistani service users are failing to attend physiotherapy appointments.
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Cultural competence is acknowledged as being central to overall professional competence and capability, and a holistic therapeutic framework is encouraged [21–25]. However, physiotherapists feel inadequate managing patients from diverse backgrounds [26–29]. While cultural competence has been debated in other health professions, discussion has only recently commenced in physiotherapy and within undergraduate programmes [15,27,30,31].
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¹: Anju Jaggi BSc MCSP is a junior physiotherapist at University College Hospitals, Camden and Islington Health Authority.

²: Christine Bithell MA DipEd MCSP is a principal lecturer in physiotherapy in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Science and Health, University of East London.

³: Anju Jaggi completed this study in partial fulfilment of her BSc(Hons) Physiotherapy at the University of East London. Christine Bithell was her supervisor.

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RESEARCH REPORTRelationships Between Physiotherapists' Level of Contact, Cultural Awareness and Communication with Bangladeshi Patients in Two Health Authorities

Summary

The Lancet

Physiotherapy

‘Health of Asians in Britain: A research review’

Community Medicine

‘General practitioners' perceptions of Asian and non-Asian patients’

Family Practice

‘Migration and health: Perspectives on immigrant women’

Sociology of Health and Illness

Standards of Physiotherapy Practice

The Social Effects of Health Policy, Avebury

‘Ethnic differences in consultation rates in urban general practice’

British Medical Journal

‘The ethnic minority populations resident in private households — Estimates by country and metropolitan districts of England and Wales’

Population Trends

RESEARCH REPORT
Relationships Between Physiotherapists' Level of Contact, Cultural Awareness and Communication with Bangladeshi Patients in Two Health Authorities