How do care-provider and home exercise program characteristics affect patient adherence in chronic neck and back pain: a qualitative study

Abstract

BackgroundThe aim of this study is to explore perceptions of people with chronic neck or low back pain about how characteristics of home exercise programs and care-provider style during clinical encounters may affect adherence to exercises.MethodsThis is a qualitative study consisting of seven focus groups, with a total of 34 participants presenting chronic neck or low back pain. The subjects were included if they were receiving physiotherapy treatment and were prescribed home-based exercises.ResultsTwo themes emerged: home-based exercise programme conditions and care provider's style. In the first theme, the participants described their positive and negative experiences regarding time consumption, complexity and effects of prescribed exercises. In the second theme, participants perceived more bonding to prescribed exercises when their care provider presented knowledge about the disease, promoted feedback and motivation during exercise instruction, gave them reminders to exercise, or monitored their results and adherence to exercises.ConclusionsOur experiential findings indicate that patient's adherence to home-based exercise is more likely to happen when care providers' style and the content of exercise programme are positively experienced. These findings provide additional information to health care providers, by showing which issues should be considered when delivering health care to patients presenting chronic neck or back pain.

An exploration of chronic pain patients’ perceptions of home telerehabilitation services

“…This was especially important during the first phases of treatment and diminished for some when they became more confident with exercising. A study of Escolar-Reina et al 24 confirms the importance of adequate feedback and instructions to reduce pain patientsÕ insecurity when exercising at home. Some participants were willing to accept less physical presence later on in their treatment, if feedback about their movements was provided by means of a sensor-based system.…”

Effectiveness of Brief Education Combined with a Home-Based Exercise Program on Pain and Disability of Office Workers with Chronic Low Back Pain: a Pilot Study

“…Evidence suggests that the effectiveness of exercise for patients with chronic LBP depends on their exercise adherence 35) . The results show that patients' adherence to the home-based exercise program was quite low (59%) 36) . Other studies investigating the effectiveness of exercise programs have had similar issues with exercise adherence 36,37) .…”

“…The results show that patients' adherence to the home-based exercise program was quite low (59%) 36) . Other studies investigating the effectiveness of exercise programs have had similar issues with exercise adherence 36,37) . Furthermore, no changes in physical examination results were found between pre-and post-intervention, although a trend of improvement in the Backache index, which assesses spinal movement restriction, was noted after the intervention.…”

The impact of hospital-based and community based models of cerebral palsy rehabilitation: a quasi-experimental study

“…All of which have been identified cited as enhancers to satisfaction and compliance [46][47][48][49][50]. Lack of knowledge of the child's impairment can lead to non-compliance [51]. As caregivers in the OR group would have attended CP workshops prior to joining the outreach group, it was expected that they would have been more knowledgeable about CP.…”