Physiotherapist and Patient Experiences of Team-Based Interprofessional Collaboration during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Canada

Abstract

To examine the perspectives of physiotherapists and physiotherapy patients regarding team-based interprofessional collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. This mixed methods study combined online surveys (physiotherapists, patients) and qualitative semi-structured interviews (patients). Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis summarized the quantitative and qualitative data before final data integration. Physiotherapists (n = 334) and patients (n = 784) participated in the surveys, while 19 patients were interviewed. Less than half (48%) of physiotherapists reported delivering care as part of multidisciplinary teams and 38% of these individuals reported that the pandemic decreased their ability to deliver team-based, interprofessional care. Physiotherapists found that team-based care was negatively impacted by communication challenges, poor care coordination, and patients lacking access to other health professionals. While over one-third (38%) of patients reported poor care coordination between health professionals, qualitatively many patients reported that these challenges were similar pre-pandemic. They also experienced increased communication challenges and emphasized poor access to general practitioners and specialists. Both groups saw future opportunities for increased use of virtual care to improve team-based health care delivery. Physiotherapists and patients had varied experiences with aspects of team-based care during the pandemic that included challenges with communication, care coordination, and ability to access health professionals. Improved training and implementation of virtual care may enhance interprofessional collaboration and improve patient care in the future.