Patient Care and Physiotherapy Management: A Cross-Sectional Analytical Study

Abstract

Background: Physiotherapy has evolved into a vital component of multidisciplinary healthcare in Pakistan, transitioning from a historically underdeveloped rehabilitation service to a cornerstone of functional recovery, chronic disease management, and quality-of-life improvement. Beyond its therapeutic techniques, high-quality physiotherapy care encompasses effective communication, informed consent, patient engagement, and ethical practice—elements that significantly influence satisfaction, adherence, and clinical outcomes. Despite this, patient perceptions of these care components, particularly in relation to gender-based experiences, remain underexplored in outpatient settings. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate patient-reported experiences of physiotherapy care and management among male and female patients, with a focus on identifying gender-specific variations in communication quality, therapist competence, patient engagement, and ethical practices. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 200 patients (100 males, 100 females) attending physiotherapy clinics in Karachi between January 2021 and November 2022. Data were collected using a rigorously validated 14-item questionnaire assessing multiple care dimensions and analyzed using chi-square tests, with a significance threshold of p<0.05. Results: High satisfaction levels were reported overall, with statistically significant gender differences observed in privacy maintenance (93.0% males vs. 78.0% females, p=0.021) and thorough history-taking (89.0% vs. 69.0%, p=0.045). Other domains—including communication effectiveness, therapeutic engagement, and financial transparency—showed no significant differences, reflecting overall consistency in care delivery. Conclusion: The findings underscore strong patient satisfaction with physiotherapy services while revealing targeted areas—particularly privacy protocols and initial clinical assessment practices—where standardized approaches could enhance equity and patient-centered care. These insights have direct implications for clinical guidelines, workforce training, and healthcare policy, while highlighting the need for further research on gender-responsive service delivery