‘You must have lived it’: learning from the views of physiotherapists who worked during the COVID-19 pandemic

van der Westhuizen, Brenna; Killingback, Clare

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a total of 676 million cases of infection and 6.9 million deaths. During a pandemic, healthcare workers are exposed to psychological stressors such as high risk of infection, inadequate protection, and isolation, which could have implications for their wellbeing. Aims: The purpose of this qualitative literature review carried out systematically was to examine the views of physiotherapists who worked with COVID-19 patients during the COVID-19 pandemic to identify how physiotherapy services might be better prepared for future pandemics. Methods: A systematic search was carried out across four databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, SPORTDISCUS) to identify relevant studies. Studies were assessed for quality and data extracted and analysed using thematic synthesis. Results: A total of 631 studies were identified through the search strategy and screened against the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Six papers met the inclusion criteria. Four themes were identified from the perspective of the physiotherapy participants: lack of resources; emotional impact; coping strategies and integration; and value within the multidisciplinary team. Conclusion: Overall qualitative evidence around the views of physiotherapists who worked during the COVID-19 pandemic is limited. An insight into the views of participants may help healthcare organisations support physiotherapy services to be better prepared in the event of a future pandemic, specifically addressing the need to strengthen supply chains, advocating for physiotherapy as a profession in low-income counties and psychological resilience. Future research should focus on identifying the most effective support options and strategies to build psychological resilience before a crisis occurs.

Citation

van der Westhuizen, B., & Killingback, C. (in press). ‘You must have lived it’: learning from the views of physiotherapists who worked during the COVID-19 pandemic. Physical Therapy Reviews, https://doi.org/10.1080/10833196.2023.2288478

• Journal Article Type: Review
• Acceptance Date: Nov 15, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Dec 16, 2023
• Deposit Date: Jan 2, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 2, 2024
• Journal: Physical Therapy Reviews
• Print ISSN: 1083-3196
• Electronic ISSN: 1743-288X
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10833196.2023.2288478
• Keywords: Physiotherapy; COVID-19; Pandemic; Views
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4499694