Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 18, 2025
Biomechanical Changes Related to Low Back Pain: An Innovative Tool for Movement Pattern Assessment and Treatment Evaluation in Rehabilitation
Published on: December 13, 2024
Instruments for Measuring Satisfaction With Physical Therapy Care: A Systematic Review
Daniel Gutiérrez-Sánchez1, David Pérez-Cruzado2, Antonio I Cuesta-Vargas3
1Department of Nursing and Podiatry, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain, and Department of Physiotherapy, Clinimetric Group FE-14, Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga, Malaga, Spain.
This study identified nine instruments for measuring patient satisfaction in physical therapy. Most studies evaluating these instruments had fair methodological quality, highlighting the need for careful selection.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Physical Therapy
- Patient Outcomes
Background:
- Patient satisfaction is a crucial metric in physical therapy, influencing care quality across various settings.
- Numerous instruments exist to measure patient satisfaction with physical therapy, necessitating guidance for selection.
- Assessing the psychometric properties and methodological quality of these instruments is vital for reliable measurement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify instruments designed to assess patient satisfaction with physical therapy care.
- To document the psychometric properties of these identified instruments.
- To evaluate the methodological quality of studies reporting on the psychometric properties of these instruments.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was conducted across multiple databases (ProQuest Medline, SciELO, PsycINFO, Theseus, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar).
- Studies published between 1990 and 2019 in English and Spanish were included.
- Review followed PRISMA and COSMIN standards, with articles assessed by two independent reviewers using the COSMIN checklist.
Main Results:
- Nine instruments specifically designed for assessing satisfaction with physical therapy care were identified.
- The methodological quality of the included studies was predominantly 'fair' across analyzed psychometric characteristics.
- A significant number of psychometric properties (24) were rated 'poor,' with fewer rated 'good' (5) or 'excellent' (3).
Conclusions:
- Clinicians and researchers must consider instrument characteristics (scope, population, dimensions, items) and psychometric evidence when selecting a tool.
- Careful instrument selection is essential for accurately measuring patient satisfaction in physical therapy.
- This review provides a foundation for informed decisions regarding the measurement of patient satisfaction in physical therapy.
