Chileshe et al., 2016 Identification Of Ethical Issues Encountered By Physiotherapy Practitioners in Managing Patients With Low Back Pain at Two Major Hospitals in Lusaka
Abstract
Background: Physiotherapy management of patients with low back pain (LBP) raises ethical issues that may affect practitioners’ efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery.
Objective: The objective of this study was to have insight into the ethical issues and dilemmas encountered by physiotherapy practitioners in management of patients with LBP.
Methodology: An exploratory study design using qualitative method was used. Two Focus Group Discussions were conducted at two major hospitals in Lusaka. Sixteen physiotherapy practitioners participated in this study. Data was analysed according to the modified principle of Giorgi’s phenomenological analysis and presented verbatim.
Results: Results revealed four dimensions of ethical issues encountered in management of LBP. These included Conflict of culture and treatment process, Patient/Physiotherapy practitioner relationships, Informed Consent and dilemmas encountered in management of LBP. Ethical issues were raised concerning cultural competences and recognising professional boundaries in clinical practice.
Conclusion: Physiotherapy practitioners encountered cultural and professional boundary ethical challenges in the management of patients with LBP. These may affect in the effectiveness of healthcare delivery. Physiotherapy practitioners would benefit from further training on ethics in clinical practice.
All authors who submit their paper for publication will abide by following provisions of the copyright transfer: 1. The copyright of the paper rests with the authors. And they are transferring the copyright to publish the article and used the article for indexing and storing for public use with due reference to published matter in the name of concerned authors. 2. The authors reserve all proprietary rights such as patent rights and the right to use all or part of the article in future works of their own such as lectures, press releases, and reviews of textbooks. 3. In the case of republication of the whole, part, or parts thereof, in periodicals or reprint publications by a third party, written permission must be obtained from the Managing Editor of JPRM. 4. The authors declare that the material being presented by them in this paper is their original work, and does not contain or include material taken from other copyrighted sources. Wherever such material has been included, it has been clearly indented or/and identified by quotation marks and due and proper acknowledgements given by citing the source at appropriate places. 5. The paper, the final version of which they submit, is not substantially the same as any that they had already published elsewhere. 6. They declare that they have not sent the paper or any paper substantially the same as the submitted one, for publication anywhere else. 7. Furthermore, the author may only post his/her version provided acknowledgement is given to the original source of publication in this journal and a link is inserted wherever published. 8. All contents, Parts, written matters, publications are under copyright act taken by JPRM. 9. Published articles will be available for use by scholars and researchers. 10. IJPRM is not responsible in any type of claim on publication in our Journal. .