Patient-perceived Barriers to Rehabilitation at Physical Therapy Clinics: A Qualitative Insight

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate patients perceived barriers to rehabilitation. Methods: A qualitative study was designed using grounded theory and inductive approach that included a semi-structured interview checklist concerning patients’ perceived barriers to physical therapy service. The transcript was analyzed using ATLAS.ti software and a thematic analysis was conducted. Codes were generated and analyzed by semantic linkages and network analysis. Results: A total of five themes were identified from qualitative analysis, namely, “treatment results pain,” “out-of-pocket expenditure,” “low perceived value for money,” “unavailability of caregiver,” and “unavailability of the therapist.” Conclusion: Apart from the barriers identified, a novel finding was the perception of intergender treatment as a barrier by female patients. This phenomenon not only has social implications that may contribute adversely to clinical goals for that patient.