Impact on engagement



Physiotherapy Practice: 

A senior member of the Victorian Worksafe Clinical Panel and experienced private practice, Pain Management, Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist

Impact of using HeathChange® Methodology (HCM)

The clinician emailed the HealthChange Facilitator a week after attending HCM training and reported the following after an encounter with a new patient with complex and persistent pain as well as other health issues.

“The patient was very defensive, and clearly did not want to be told what he should be doing. By explaining my role, consistently asking his permission and offering choice with phrasing along the lines of ‘many patients with this condition find this helpful’, he started to engage.

...By the end of the session, he was leaning forward asking questions about what he could do.”



Comments from other Physiotherapists:

Quote   "I am always frustrated by patients not adhering to exercise programs. This gives me a lot of insight into patient's reasons for not complying and reasons for resistance. This course also then provides tools to assist practitioners to identify and motivate clients to achieve desired outcomes."



Relevant Research:

The papers below investigated the experience of health professionals who were supported to use HCM in a variety of contexts.

Key messages:

  • Improved communication skills and high therapeutic alliance
  • The course covers new concepts not always covered in other training settings
  • Practice change support after the course is critical to improving clinician confidence and skills
  • Training shifted clinician beliefs about their role

Implementation of person‐centred practice principles and behaviour change techniques after a 2‐day training workshop: a nested case study involving physiotherapists

BJ Lawford, KL Bennell, J Kasza, PK Campbell, J Gale, C Bills, ...
Musculoskeletal care 17 (2), 221-233, 2019

Therapeutic alliance between physical therapists and patients with knee osteoarthritis consulting via telephone: a longitudinal study

BJ Lawford, KL Bennell, PK Campbell, J Kasza, RS Hinman
Arthritis care & research 72 (5), 652-660, 2020
R.Tinning; PhD Thesis, Uni NSW, 2018