While the initial treatment strategy may be carefully considered, progress in physical therapy largely depends on post-appointment patient behavior. Increasingly, practices are paying special attention to the fact that the patient adheres to prescribed exercises and appointments. The reason is in the direct relationship between treatment outcomes and participation in the process.
Treatment of the disease through physical therapy implies patient involvement over a relatively long time span. Therapist consultation, observation of improvement, and adjustment can be made only during visits; all other activities are performed outside the clinic, which forms a significant distance between recommendations and actions of the patient.
Such dynamics of treatment lead to practical difficulties related to the fact that it becomes necessary to ensure both understanding and adherence of patients and the smooth operation of the appointment system despite occasional inconsistencies.
Several aspects affect patient participation in the process. First, some patients face problems associated with the inclusion of additional activities in their everyday routine. Another problem is associated with loss of motivation due to lack of rapid progress. Finally, patients can stop attending sessions in case of significant improvement in condition but not meeting the target goal.
In this context, the role of communication is extremely important. A considerable amount of time is spent explaining the importance of particular exercises and treatment methods as a whole. Patients who understand that their daily activities contribute to achieving treatment goals are more likely to adhere to the treatment process.
The question of patient adherence has important business implications. Schedules of visits are made with consideration for the estimated patient activity. Therefore, repeated cancellations lead to a waste of time, making it difficult to optimize the work schedule. A practice may receive many requests for appointments while having free hours due to patients' absence.
During follow-ups, therapists face the necessity to discuss clinical results and obstacles that prevented the patient from active participation. Such aspects can affect future treatment plans and further adjustment of therapeutic efforts in terms of particular patients.
Tools for improving appointment and participation rates can be discussed among many clinics. Despite this, difficulties with adherence persist, being largely caused by patients' decisions in the process of treatment. Patient adherence is the result of his/her own choice and can depend on various circumstances.
From the perspective of practice managers, adherence is not only a treatment-related issue but also a challenge connected with the optimization of the business process. Thus, patient adherence is associated with both the treatment process and clinic business performance.
In conclusion, physical therapy practices will continue to develop methods for encouraging patients' participation. However, the key problem will not change over time, remaining the same—the necessity of adherence to treatment during all phases of care.
