Effect of a self-determination theory-based communication skills training program on physiotherapists' psychological
Aileen Murray1, Amanda M Hall1, Geoffrey C Williams2
1School of Public Health, Physiotherapy, and Population Science, Health Sciences Centre, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland.
Objective:
To examine the effects of communication skills training on physiotherapists' supportive behavior during clinical practice.
Design:
Randomized trial.
Setting:
Hospital outpatient physiotherapy clinics.
Participants:
Physiotherapists (N=24) and patients (N=24) with chronic low back pain.
Interventions:
Two hospital clinics were randomly assigned to the intervention arm. Physiotherapists (n=12) received 8 hours of communication skills training focused on supporting patients' psychological needs. Physiotherapists (n=12) from 2 other hospital clinics formed a waitlist control arm.
Main Outcome Measures:
Verbal communication between each physiotherapist and a patient was recorded on an audiotape, and independent, blinded raters used the Health Care Climate Questionnaire to assess physiotherapists' needs-supportive behavior (primary outcome).
Results:
Independent raters' Health Care Climate Questionnaire scores favored the intervention arm (Cohen's d=2.27; P<.01).
Conclusions:
Compared with controls, independent ratings demonstrated that physiotherapists who completed the Communication style and exercise compliance in physiotherapy training were found to provide greater support for patients' needs in a single assessed session. Long-term maintenance of this needs-supportive behavior should be examined.
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