This study aimed to elucidate the content of work beliefs related to proficiency among physical therapists in Japan. [Participants and Methods] Participants included 50 therapists who met the definition of proficiency to participate in a questionnaire survey conducted between October 2017 and March 2019. Participants were asked to freely describe their daily work beliefs, including their thoughts, values, and ideals. This content was coded and categorized using open coding; a hierarchical cluster analysis (Ward's method) was conducted of the proficient therapists with the individuals and belief categories as the variables. All belief categories were classified into three groups. [Results] Three work beliefs were identified as follows: 1) practices that emphasize building relationships in the field, 2) broad practices with physical therapist pride (responsibility and enthusiasm), and 3) practices with awareness of treatment outcomes and social benefits. [Conclusion] A better understanding of the three aforementioned work beliefs would facilitate good support for and development of physical therapists. We recommend continuing to elucidate the three work beliefs identified among proficient therapists and verify their educational effects.

In after-school daycare services, understanding and sharing the goals and challenges of children with their parents and staff leads to effective support. This study aimed to clarify these goals and issues from the perspectives of parents and staff to propose rehabilitation issues. [Participants and Methods] The target group consisted of 10 parents and five staff members, and the goals and tasks of 10 children were surveyed using an openended questionnaire. The responses were analyzed using the open coding method, in which the contents of the openended statements were coded, categories were extracted, and the results were organized into short-term and long-term goals and tasks. [Results] Parents and staff members had different perceptions of short-term goals and issues, whereas many of the long-term goals and issues were related to employment for both. [Conclusion] The future rehabilitation issues included bridging the gap between parents and staff in terms of short-term goals and issues, and promoting appropriate support for children to work or go on to higher education in terms of long-term goals and issues.

To categorize trends in symptom improvement of female patients with fibromyalgia (FM) during a 3-week inpatient exercise program (aerobic exercise, muscle strengthening exercise, etc.). [Participants and Methods] Eleven female patients with FM were the subjects. The SF-8 Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) were assessed before and after the program, and physical condition, fatigue, sound sleep, pain, enjoyment, number of steps, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, and posture (percentage of time spent sitting and standing) were measured before, during and after the program. The tendency of symptom improvement was classified into four categories based on the tendency of improvement in each item using Quantification Theory Type III analysis. [Results] Symptom improvement trends were classified into four groups: 1) sleep duration, sound sleep, and fatigue; 2) posture and PCS; 3) number of steps, MCS, and sleep efficiency; and 4) pain, enjoyment, and physical condition. [Conclusion] The present study categorized the effects of exercise therapy for female patients with FM into four types.

Background Patients’ perceptions and beliefs of disease could be influenced by their lifestyle and culture. Although it is important to understand their perceptions and beliefs toward disease to prevent and manage osteoarthritis (OA) through conservative care, this topic has not been investigated in Japanese people with knee OA. Therefore, this qualitative study aims to clarify how Japanese patients with knee OA experience and perceive their symptoms and disabilities, and how they face them during conservative care.Methods Participants were recruited by purposive sampling. Face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine patients (2 men and 7 women, mean age, 74.3±5.5 years) with knee OA until data saturation was reached. Interview data comprised participants’ accounts of particular personal experiences of living with knee OA, including their perceptions and attitudes toward knee OA-related symptoms and disabilities. Two physiotherapists (one with extensive experience conducting qualitative studies) and four physiotherapy students conducted the interviews. Recorded interview data were transcribed verbatim in Japanese. Data analysis, including developing a coding scheme, was conducted based on a grounded theory approach. Results Six categories were extracted from the data: “self-analysis on the cause of knee OA,” “difficulties in daily life due to knee symptoms,” “psychological barrier,” “how to deal with knee pain and difficulty in moving,” “importance of connecting with others,” and “information considered useful to cope with knee OA.” Japanese patients with knee OA desired evidence-based information and to connect with other people in the same situation to solve problems related to their condition. Conclusions To address patients’ concerns, medical professionals should carry out careful interviews and obtain information regarding patients’ past experiences, and understand their experiences related to knee OA. Symptoms and difficulties experienced by patients with knee OA should be managed by evidence-based information integrating their perceptions and beliefs toward knee OA.

[Purpose] This study aimed to extract knowledge for the development of a training program for creating a social model of disability for physical therapists, focusing on the experiential learning of those physical therapists who did not use acceptance of disability according to their subjective judgment. [Participants and Methods] The study included 11 physical therapists who were interviewed about their use of acceptance of disability and the circumstances leading to its non-use. [Results] The study identified the past and current use of acceptance of disability, as well as cases and reasons for its discontinuation, along with changes in clinical content. [Conclusion] The study extracted knowledge for the development of training programs in line with the components of the experiential learning model.