CLIENT-CENTRED REHABILITATION

Background: A client-centred service is increasingly being advocated for by both service users and professionals. The approach is highly emphasized in rehabilitation where professionals are supposed to focus on their clients´... [ view full abstract ]

Background:
A client-centred service is increasingly being advocated for by both service users and professionals. The approach is highly emphasized in rehabilitation where professionals are supposed to focus on their clients´ problems in daily life and encourage their autonomy and participation in the rehabilitation process. The purpose of this study was to examine the degree of client-centredness as experienced by users of interdisciplinary rehabilitation.
Method:
Five hundred users, discharging from interdisciplinary rehabilitation, completed a questionnaire measuring client-centredness at the client-professional interaction level. The questionnaire had been developed in cooperation with service users and found to have acceptable psychometric properties. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied in data analyses.
Results:
Generally, the service was experienced as being rather client-centred, but to different extent as significant differences were found between most subscales´ means. The highest mean was for the subscale “Staff attitudes and support” and the lowest for “Interaction with significant others”. The mean for the subscale “Education and information” was also relatively low.
Conclusion:
Results indicate that some aspects of client-centredness are more easily applied than others. Further research is needed to examine the external and internal barriers that may affect the possibilities of a true partnership and equal status of clients and professionals.
Application to Practice:
The results may be used to increase the quality of interdisciplinary rehabilitation by focusing and reflecting on those areas in less harmony with the principles of client-centred practice. Service users should be consulted for suggestion of needed changes in rehabilitation´s habits and culture.