Reflection: 12/8/20                               Hours: 2

 What happened:

Today I had one patient in who was suffering from neck pain, stiffness and reduced ROM. The lady was explaining how she wishes she could come for more regular treatment and had been told by a physiotherapist in the past, that if she got treated regularly then her symptoms would be managed. However, due to her financial situation she is unable to afford to come more regularly and was concerned this would hinder her treatment.

What I was thinking and feeling and what was good or bad:

At first I felt really awkward as I was not sure what to say to her and felt guilty that she was having to pay for treatment. However, it made me realise the importance of individualising treatment plans to different patient’s needs as some may wish to come regularly and are not compliant with home-based plans, while others cannot afford regular treatment but would really benefit from home-based exercises. This highlights the importance of ethical practice and considering how you can adapt treatment to ensure the patient gets the best outcome for their money and finds a treatment that works for them. Home based exercises to help the client in between appointments will be beneficial in this case and allow the patient to get the most from treatment without having to have appointments more than they can afford, decreasing their stress.

What else I could have done/areas for improvement:

Be calmer during these conversations and do not feel awkward.

Action plan:

Plan home based exercises for different pathologies.

Follow-up:

Since treating more pathologies and having more client exposure, my confidence has grown significantly which has made me more calm and I have lots of plans now for home based exercises which helps me to feel better prepared.