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Ethical issues raised by private practice physiotherapy are more diverse than first meets the eye: Recommendations from a literature review

Physiotherapy Canada, ISSN: 0300-0508, Vol: 67, Issue: 2, Page: 124-132
2015
  • 36
    Citations
  • 0
    Usage
  • 189
    Captures
  • 0
    Mentions
  • 52
    Social Media
Metric Options:   Counts1 Year3 Year

Metrics Details

  • Citations
    36
  • Captures
    189
  • Social Media
    52
    • Shares, Likes & Comments
      52
      • Facebook
        52

Article Description

Purpose: Physiotherapy in private practice differs from physiotherapy practised in a public setting in several ways the most evident of which is the for-profit nature of private physiotherapy clinics; these differences can generate distinct and challenging ethical issues The objectives of this article are to identify ethical issues encountered by physiotherapists in private practice settings and to identify potential solutions and recommendations to address these issues Method: After a literature search of eight databases 39 studies addressing ethical issues in a private practice context were analyzed Results: A total of 25 ethical issues emerging from the included studies were classified into three main categories: (1) business and economic issues (eg conflicts of interests inequity in a managed care context lack of time affecting quality of care); (2) professional issues (eg professional autonomy clinical judgment treatment effectiveness professional conduct); and (3) patients’ rights and welfare issues (eg confidentiality power asymmetries paternalism vs patient autonomy informed consent) Recommendations as to how physiotherapists could better manage these issues were then identified and categorized Conclusions: The physiotherapy community should reflect on the challenges raised by private practice so that professionals can be supported—through education research and good governance—in providing the best possible care for their patients.

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