RTSS Adoption Into Physiotherapists Documentation

Plain-language summary

The Rehabilitation Treatment Specification System (RTSS) is a framework that aims to support clinicians in reasoning and documenting how to deliver rehabilitation. This was explored in a pilot study in 2023 that tested the feasibility of a 6-week teaching programme aiming to support the adoption of the RTSS into practise of physiotherapists and subsequently measure its effect on clinicians reasoning of treatment. Whilst clinical reasoning scores improved, adoption of the framework remained low. Interviews within this study revealed the difficulty clinicians experienced in transitioning to documenting the RTSS. Further local work within Guy's \& St Thomas NHS foundation trust (GSTT) resulted in modified integrations of the RTSS into electronic health record systems as well as training, yet adoption still remained limited. With documentation being cited as an influence of RTSS adoption and thus contributing to its clinical benefit, this qualitative study will attempt to make clear what factors facilitate and/or limit RTSS documentation adoption, and how they exert their influence. The findings from this study will inform the design of interventions that will aid future study of benefit of the RTSS on physiotherapy practice. To achieve these aims, interviews will be conducted virtually via MS Teams, by the lead researcher, with approximately 12-16 volunteering physiotherapists who have attempted to document the RTSS, within the site of GSTT. The interviews will last approximately 1 hour, and will be partially structured in nature to invite in-depth discussion of topic. Analyses of the data will be performed by a team of 3 clinical academics working between GSTT and King's College London with study findings to be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal and at professional conferences

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