Osteoarthritis rehabilitative practices among biokineticists and physiotherapists in South Africa

Abstract

A multifaceted condition such as osteoarthritis is well matched within multidisciplinary management which emphasises holistic patient-focused care. Although a multidisciplinary approach to osteoarthritis management has been proposed, scientific literature has shown inconsistencies in referrals for the optimal engagement of patient-focused care in the South African healthcare system. The study’s objective was to evaluate and describe osteoarthritis rehabilitative practices among biokineticists and physiotherapists, thereby identifying current trends in osteoarthritis management. Using a descriptive and cross-sectional study design, data were collected from a target sample of biokineticists (n=47) and physiotherapists (n=165) in the South African public and private healthcare sectors, who completed an online questionnaire. The questionnaire surveyed rehabilitative practitioners’ management modalities and patient referral trends. Respectively, 100% and 93% of the biokineticists and physiotherapists selected physical exercise therapy as their preferred management modality for osteoarthritis patients (p=0.35). Almost all biokineticists (89%) and physiotherapists (87%) stated that they refer osteoarthritis patients to other healthcare practitioners. Specifically, biokineticists (55%) and physiotherapists (50%) would most likely refer an osteoarthritis patient to a specialist medical practitioner. Notably, the majority of biokineticists (55%) also indicated that they would most likely refer an osteoarthritis patient to a physiotherapist. Understanding the various rehabilitative practices and the unique role of each profession could guide the discussion around the current referral systems in osteoarthritis management in the South African context, and thereby facilitate necessary referrals centred on multidisciplinary patient-focused care.