Reading material on improving patient communication

It’s important to understand how to conduct an interview while respecting ethics and cultural differences. You need to explain the principles of your relationship and how you will conduct functional diagnostics, including palpation and training/physiotherapy. It’s crucial to clarify your actions, such as observing how the patient moves and performs tasks or performing abdominal palpation.

An essential aspect to pay attention to is communication between the client/patient and the therapist. Communication can be particularly challenging in therapy where touch, in addition to verbal communication, is a primary means of interaction. This can pose challenges for both the client/patient and the physiotherapist. In the physiotherapist-client/patient relationship, one of the elements of effective communication is the ability to interpret nonverbal signals, including those stemming from the patient’s reaction to the type and pressure of the touch applied by the physiotherapist.

Therefore, you must prepare for collaboration with individuals from different cultures and different socio-cultural norms. It’s important to be culturally sensitive and open to understanding and accommodating diverse perspectives and needs.

The physiotherapist should ensure the protection of privacy, respect the intimacy and boundaries of the client/patient, maintain an appropriate distance, and uphold the confidentiality of information. This involves employing suitable verbal and nonverbal communication, the ability to read emotions and signals conveyed, and providing a sense of safety and respect for the patient. It’s crucial to prepare for the athlete/patient’s reactions to pain, injury, movement execution, or obtaining weak results in functional tests. Understanding how individuals may respond emotionally and physically to these situations is an important part of being an effective physiotherapist. This empathy and understanding can help you provide the necessary support and guidance to help them through their physical challenges and rehabilitation process.

Additional materials are available in the e-manual.