Patients' and Physiotherapists' Perspectives on Group-Based Interventions: A Mixed Systematic Review.

Area of Science:

• Physiotherapy
• Rehabilitation Science
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Group-based interventions are increasingly utilized in physiotherapy.
• Understanding patient and physiotherapist perspectives is crucial for optimizing these interventions.
• Factors influencing engagement and satisfaction remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically identify factors influencing the use, intention to use, satisfaction, attitudes, experience, and preferences for group-based physiotherapy interventions.
• To synthesize evidence from the perspectives of both patients and physiotherapists.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted across five major databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane, EBSCO CINAHL) up to September 2024.
• Included studies employed quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-method designs involving adult patients or physiotherapy professionals.
• A data-based convergent synthesis approach was used, transforming quantitative data into textual descriptions for integration with qualitative findings.

Main Results:

• Fifty studies were included, identifying 32 determinants of group-based intervention engagement, mapped to nine Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) domains.
• Key TDF domains influencing interventions included 'Social influence', 'Environmental context and resources', 'Emotion', and 'Beliefs about capabilities'.
• Patients valued peer support and shared experiences, while physiotherapists identified group size (optimal 6-8 participants) as a key determinant of experience.

Conclusions:

• Identified determinants provide insights for tailoring group-based physiotherapy interventions.
• Findings can inform physiotherapy services and policy to better meet patient and professional needs.
• Optimizing interventions requires consideration of social, environmental, emotional, and capability-related factors.