Patients' and therapists' perspective of integrating home and family work roles into rehabilitation following distal radius fracture.

PURPOSE: To explore distal radius fracture (DRF) patients' and hand therapist/occupational therapist/physiotherapists' perceptions of integrating home and family work roles (HFWR) into rehabilitation.

METHODS

Eighteen patients and eleven therapists completed a semi-structured telephone interview three months after DRF. Reflexive thematic analysis of the interviews and triangulation of patients' and therapists' themes was performed.

RESULTS

The patient interview yielded five themes: the experience of rehabilitation; predetermined expectations of rehabilitation; incorporating HFWR into therapy sessions; varying patient needs for addressing HFWR; and determination to return to valued activities drives behavioral choices. The therapists' interview yielded five themes: The challenges in integrating HFWR into rehabilitation; HFWR addressed when brought up by a patient; working context and referral sources influence the rehabilitation plan; rehabilitation is not explicitly tailored according to sex and gender; and utilizing HFWR as a rehabilitation strategy is perceived beneficial.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients have predetermined rehabilitation expectations primarily focused on mobility and strengthening exercises. Therapists and patients agree that adapting home and family work roles is beneficial but was not a major focus for either therapists' or patients' expectations during therapy. An unfavourable environment, patient budget constraints, and limited time were identified as challenges to integrating family roles.