Effect of compatibility on goal achievement in patient-physical therapist dyads

The purpose of this study was to test two hypotheses related to the effect of interpersonal compatibility in patient-physical therapist dyads on goal achievement in a rehabilitation setting. Seventeen patients with spinal cord injuries and the physical therapists primarily responsible for their treatment were asked to participate. The Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation Behavior scale, which includes three interpersonal dimensions--Inclusion, Control, and Affection--was used to assess patient-physical therapist compatibility. Patient performance on four quantitatively measurable functional goals was used as the dependent variable. The results of this study did not support the hypothesis that goal achievement would be greater for patients in compatible patient-physical therapist dyads. Further, compatibility in the dimension of affection was found to be strongly related to a lack of rehabilitation goal achievement.