Understanding New Zealand physiotherapy scholars' philosophies and practices of supported self-management: a...

The growing prevalence of long-term health conditions has intensified focus on self-management to ease burdens on individuals and health systems. Yet, its meaning remains ambiguous, encompassing individual responsibility, resource provision, and professional support. Physiotherapists are well positioned to support self-management, but how this occurs in practice is unclear. This study examined New Zealand physiotherapy scholars' philosophies, interpretations, and delivery of supported self-management.

Using the qualitative methodology of Interpretive Description, 14 semi-structured interviews were conducted and thematically analysed.

Three themes were constructed: (1) Role of physiotherapy in supported self-management, considered important and integral to patient wellbeing but not fully embraced. (2) Components of supported self-management, viewed as central to person-centred care, included strategies of skill-building, enabling environments, and psychologically-informed tools strengthening patient self-efficacy. (3) Complexities of implementation spoke to how systemic barriers, particularly financial and time constraints, limits implementation. Targeted training and practical tools were identified as essential for improving implementation.

Physiotherapist scholars appeared to endorse and/or engage with supporting self-management; however, there was a continuum of what this meant and how such support was delivered. Given that support requirements fluctuate, we suggest physiotherapists maintain a critically reflective stance and demonstrate flexibility to accommodate these inherent uncertainties.