Exercise Therapy Teamwork in German Rehabilitation Settings: Results of a National Survey Using Mixed Methods Design

Judith Wais, Wolfgang Geidl, Nina Rohrbach, Gorden Sudeck and Klaus Pfeifer
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Judith Wais: Institute of Sport Science, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
Wolfgang Geidl: Department of Sport Science and Sport, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
Nina Rohrbach: Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Technical University of Munich, 80809 Munich, Germany
Gorden Sudeck: Institute of Sport Science, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
Klaus Pfeifer: Department of Sport Science and Sport, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 3, 1-17

Abstract: A key prerequisite for implementing biopsychosocial exercise therapy concepts as parts of multimodal rehabilitation programs is interprofessional teamwork. Based on a nationwide survey of exercise therapy using a mixed methods design, it is of interest to determine to what extent there are links between team-related processes (e.g., interprofessional exchange) and structural features of the exercise therapy departments (e.g., department size) and the individual rating of interprofessional teamwork. The first part of the study involved a questionnaire-based survey, where exercise therapy heads of 1146 rehabilitation facilities were contacted. In the second part of the study, 58 exercise therapy heads held discussions in six focus groups. The results from both parts showed that interprofessional teamwork was rated positively overall. Team meetings were seen as the central platform for exchange. However, particularly in larger facilities, the hierarchical position of medical management and lacking resources were negatively associated with interprofessional exchange. The results affirm empirically that a more binding provision of adequate structural and organizational conditions, such as sufficient time slots for liaising on content, are essential for effective teamwork. This would facilitate and improve the promotion of physical activity in multimodal rehabilitation programs.

Keywords: interprofessional practice; teamwork; physical therapy; physical activity promotion; survey; mixed methods (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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