Specific Requirements of Physiotherapists on the Practical Use of Software in the Therapeutical Process

The current healthcare system requires more effective management. New media and technology are supposed to support the demands of the current healthcare system. By the example of physiotherapy, the primary objective of this study was to define the specific requirements of therapists on the practical use of software which cover the administration, documentation and evaluation of the entire therapy process, including a database with pictures/videos about exercises which can be adapted individually by the therapists. Another objective was to show what conditions for a successful implementation of advanced applications during the entire treatment process have to be fulfilled. The approach of mixed-methods designs was chosen. In the first part a two-stage qualitative study was carried out, followed by a quantitative survey. The results show that the use of the software regarding the therapy-related part is dependent on how adaptable the software is to the special needs of the therapists, that the whole treatment process is mapped on the software and that an additional training during the professional practice must be implemented in order to deploy the use of the software successfully in the therapeutic process.