Ethical issues in physiotherapy - Reflected from the perspective of physiotherapists in private practice.
(2012) In Physiotherapy Theory and Practice- Abstract
- Background:
An important aspect of physiotherapy professional autonomy is the ethical code of the profession, both collectively and for the individual member of the profession. The aim of this study is to explore and add additional insight into the nature and scope of ethical issues as they are understood and experienced by Danish physiotherapists in outpatient, private practice.
Methods:
A qualitative approach was chosen and semi-structured interviews with 21 physiotherapists were carried out twice and analyzed, using a phenomenological hermeneutic framework.
Results:
One main theme emerged: The ideal of being beneficent toward the patient. Here, the ethical issues... (More) - Background:
An important aspect of physiotherapy professional autonomy is the ethical code of the profession, both collectively and for the individual member of the profession. The aim of this study is to explore and add additional insight into the nature and scope of ethical issues as they are understood and experienced by Danish physiotherapists in outpatient, private practice.
Methods:
A qualitative approach was chosen and semi-structured interviews with 21 physiotherapists were carried out twice and analyzed, using a phenomenological hermeneutic framework.
Results:
One main theme emerged: The ideal of being beneficent toward the patient. Here, the ethical issues uncovered in the interviews were embedded in three code-groups: 1) ethical issues related to equality; 2) feeling obligated to do one's best; and 3) transgression of boundaries.
Conclusions:
In an ethical perspective, physiotherapy in private practice is on a trajectory toward increased professionalism. Physiotherapists in private practice have many reflections on ethics and these reflections are primarily based on individual common sense arguments and on deontological understandings. As physiotherapy by condition is characterized by asymmetrical power encounters where the parties are in close physical and emotional contact, practiced physiotherapy has many ethical issues embedded. Some physiotherapists meet these issues in a professional manner, but others meet them in unconscious or unprofessional ways. An explicit ethical consciousness among Danish physiotherapists in private practice seems to be needed. A debate of how to understand and respect the individual physiotherapist's moral versus the ethics of the profession needs to be addressed. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/2967455
- author
- Praestegaard, Jeanette LU and Gard, Gunvor LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2012-07-05
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Physiotherapy Theory and Practice
- publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:22765019
- scopus:84871917586
- ISSN
- 0959-3985
- DOI
- 10.3109/09593985.2012.700388
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Division of Physiotherapy (Closed 2012) (013042000)
- id
- fba6e3dd-07d4-4282-8c50-fa3190f90ddc (old id 2967455)
- alternative location
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22765019?dopt=Abstract
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-04 07:57:49
- date last changed
- 2022-03-15 07:41:20
@article{fba6e3dd-07d4-4282-8c50-fa3190f90ddc,
abstract = {{Background: <br/><br>
An important aspect of physiotherapy professional autonomy is the ethical code of the profession, both collectively and for the individual member of the profession. The aim of this study is to explore and add additional insight into the nature and scope of ethical issues as they are understood and experienced by Danish physiotherapists in outpatient, private practice. <br/><br>
<br/><br>
Methods: <br/><br>
A qualitative approach was chosen and semi-structured interviews with 21 physiotherapists were carried out twice and analyzed, using a phenomenological hermeneutic framework. <br/><br>
<br/><br>
Results: <br/><br>
One main theme emerged: The ideal of being beneficent toward the patient. Here, the ethical issues uncovered in the interviews were embedded in three code-groups: 1) ethical issues related to equality; 2) feeling obligated to do one's best; and 3) transgression of boundaries. <br/><br>
<br/><br>
Conclusions: <br/><br>
In an ethical perspective, physiotherapy in private practice is on a trajectory toward increased professionalism. Physiotherapists in private practice have many reflections on ethics and these reflections are primarily based on individual common sense arguments and on deontological understandings. As physiotherapy by condition is characterized by asymmetrical power encounters where the parties are in close physical and emotional contact, practiced physiotherapy has many ethical issues embedded. Some physiotherapists meet these issues in a professional manner, but others meet them in unconscious or unprofessional ways. An explicit ethical consciousness among Danish physiotherapists in private practice seems to be needed. A debate of how to understand and respect the individual physiotherapist's moral versus the ethics of the profession needs to be addressed.}},
author = {{Praestegaard, Jeanette and Gard, Gunvor}},
issn = {{0959-3985}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{07}},
publisher = {{Taylor & Francis}},
series = {{Physiotherapy Theory and Practice}},
title = {{Ethical issues in physiotherapy - Reflected from the perspective of physiotherapists in private practice.}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/09593985.2012.700388}},
doi = {{10.3109/09593985.2012.700388}},
year = {{2012}},
}