Patients’ and therapists’ perspective of integrating home and family work roles into rehabilitation following distal radius fracture

PURPOSE: To explore distal radius fracture (DRF) patients' and hand therapist/occupational therapist/physiotherapists' perceptions of integrating home and family work roles (HFWR) into rehabilitation. METHODS: Eighteen patients and eleven therapists completed a semi-structured telephone interview three months after DRF. Reflexive thematic analysis of the interviews and triangulation of patients' and therapists' themes was performed. RESULTS: The patient interview yielded five themes: the experience of rehabilitation; predetermined expectations of rehabilitation; incorporating HFWR into therapy sessions; varying patient needs for addressing HFWR; and determination to return to valued activities drives behavioral choices. The therapists' interview yielded five themes: The challenges in integrating HFWR into rehabilitation; HFWR addressed when brought up by a patient; working context and referral sources influence the rehabilitation plan; rehabilitation is not explicitly tailored according to sex and gender; and utilizing HFWR as a rehabilitation strategy is perceived beneficial. CONCLUSIONS: Patients have predetermined rehabilitation expectations primarily focused on mobility and strengthening exercises. Therapists and patients agree that adapting home and family work roles is beneficial but was not a major focus for either therapists' or patients' expectations during therapy. An unfavourable environment, patient budget constraints, and limited time were identified as challenges to integrating family roles.