Physiotherapy management strategies for woman post-ceasarean section delivery in public hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Reddy, Poovendhree; Frantz, José M.

doi:10.4102/sajp.v69i1.365

Cited by 1 publication

(3 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Our study indicates that physiotherapy remains a vital adjunct in the management of common conditions in obstetrics (antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal including post caesarean section) in accordance with other studies [6,28] and gynecology (surgical and non-surgical) [29]. Figure 2 highlights the common obstetric and gynecological conditions which require physiotherapy services and the available physiotherapeutic modalities [6,28,29]. There is urgent need to actively integrate physiotherapy services into women's health care with regular monitoring and evaluation of its impact on the quality of care women experiences.…”

Section: Clinical and Research Implicationssupporting

confidence: 92%

“…There is a common misconception that physiotherapy's importance is limited to musculoskeletal conditions but the scope is wider and incorporates other specialty areas such as women's health care [3]. Physiotherapy in women's health is pivotal in treating a wide variety of obstetric and gynecological issues [4][5][6][7]. For instance, pregnancy is characterized by disturbing physiological changes (physical and emotional) and childbirth further compounds the stress.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Physiotherapists are efficient in managing some complications of pregnancy and childbirth such as pelvic floor dysfunction and low back pain via manual therapy, exercise and or electrotherapeutic modalities [6,9]. Though physiotherapy is vital in maternal health, it is still not widely practiced in low and middle income countries and remains underutilized [10][11][12][13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Physiotherapy practice in women’s health: awareness and attitudes of obstetricians and gynecologists in Ghana

Koranteng,

Adu-Bonsaffoh,

Oppong-Yeboah

2023

BMC Women's Health

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Background Physiotherapy is relatively well integrated into women’s health in many high-income countries (HICs) as compared to low- and middle- countries (LMICs) like Ghana. Suboptimal integration of physiotherapy in modern obstetrics and gynecology especially in low resource settings is partly due to issues related to the awareness and attitudes of referring physicians. This study assessed the awareness and attitude levels towards physiotherapy in women’s health among obstetricians/gynecologists and factors associated with its utilization in Ghana. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among obstetricians/gynecologists working at a tertiary hospital in Ghana using an “Awareness and Attitude Questionnaire” adapted from a standardized questionnaire. Chi-square test or Fisher exact test was performed and logistic regression was used to assess the association between doctors’ awareness level of physiotherapy’s role in women’s health and years of clinical practice. Results Sixty-one (61) respondents comprising 7 consultants, 20 senior residents and 34 junior residents, with age median age of 35 years (range: 29–65 years) were recruited. There were more males than females (82% versus 18%) with a mean (SD) duration of practice of (9.41 ± 4.71) years. The participants reported a considerable awareness of physiotherapists’ role in obstetrics (between 72.1% for intrapartum to 91.8% for postnatal) but wide variation in gynecology (from 19.7% in PID to 95. 1% in uterine prolapse). Consultants were more (71.4%) aware of the role of physiotherapy in antenatal care and gynecology while senior residents had more awareness in intrapartum and postnatal care. Junior residents generally showed lowest awareness levels. Duration of clinical practice (≥ 10years) was not significantly associated with doctors’ awareness regarding the importance of physiotherapy in childbirth. There were mixed findings concerning doctors’ attitudes toward physiotherapy: (1) 41% indicated that physiotherapists have been effective in their inter-professional relationship; (2) none of the doctors strongly agreed that physiotherapy may not contribute significantly to the complete well-being of gynecological patients. The main factors influencing utilization of physiotherapy were the perceived notion of non-availability of physiotherapists to cover various wards and physiotherapists not attending ward rounds with doctors to facilitate more education on the scope of physiotherapy practice. Conclusion Although obstetricians/gynecologists showed appreciable awareness and attitudes towards physiotherapy, there remains a considerable gap in provider education to ensure optimal utilization of physiotherapy in contemporary obstetrics and gynecology. Further research is recommended to assess implementation challenges associated with regular utilization of physiotherapy services in women’s health in the hospital.

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