Do you find it difficult to get patient involvement?
If you want to improve patient involvement, the first step is to find out the cause. Know what factors may be influencing this lack of motivation.
Some of the causes that may be interfering with patient involvement are for example:
Physical factors
Severity of the condition: The severity of the injury or illness may make rehabilitation exercises particularly difficult or painful.
Fatigue or Chronic Pain: Conditions that cause constant fatigue or chronic pain may reduce patients’ ability to participate in rehabilitation.
Psychological and emotional factors
Depression and Anxiety: Mental health conditions can negatively affect motivation and adherence to rehabilitation programmes.
Fear of Pain or New Injuries: Fear of experiencing pain or aggravating your condition can lead to avoidance of rehabilitation activities, known as Kinesiophobia.
Quality of the Relationship with the Health Professional: A distant relationship with the physiotherapist or other health professionals may decrease adherence to treatment.
Social and support factors
Lack of Social Support: The absence of a support network (family, friends) may decrease the patient’s motivation to continue treatment.
Family or Work Responsibilities: Major commitments may limit the time and energy available for rehabilitation.
Economic factors
Treatment costs: Direct costs (physiotherapy sessions, equipment) and indirect costs (transport, time off work) can be a significant barrier.
Inadequate Insurance Coverage: Lack of adequate coverage for rehabilitation services may discourage continued participation.
Acceso Limitado a Servicios: La disponibilidad de servicios de rehabilitación puede ser limitada, especialmente en áreas rurales o desatendidas.
Some ideas to improve patient involvement
To address these barriers and improve patients’ involvement in their rehabilitation programmes, the following strategies can be considered:
- Education and Communication: Provide clear and understandable information about the benefits and objectives of rehabilitation.
- Psychological support: Include psychological support services to address problems such as depression and anxiety.
- Support networks: Encourage the creation of group, social and family support networks.
- Treatment Flexibility: Offer flexible scheduling and online treatment options to accommodate patients’ needs.
- Financial Access: Work to reduce costs and improve insurance coverage for rehabilitation services.
- Therapeutic Relationship: Improving the relationship and communication between patients and health professionals.
- Gamification: Turning rehabilitation sessions into a moment of play.
Let’s take a closer look at some of these ideas for improving patient involvement:
Education and communication
Conduct detailed interviews to assess the patient’s level of knowledge about his or her condition and the rehabilitation process.
Use structured questionnaires to identify misunderstandings and unrealistic expectations.
Distribute customised brochures, guides and educational materials that explain the patient’s condition, the specific benefits of rehabilitation and the steps of treatment.
Use digital resources: Create and share educational videos, infographics and animations that visually explain the processes and benefits of rehabilitation.
Use clear and simple language, avoiding complex medical terminology that may be difficult for the patient to understand.
Individual or group psychological support
Group sessions: Create or facilitate access to support groups where patients can share experiences and strategies with others in similar situations. Organise regular workshops where patients can learn about their conditions and the rehabilitation process in a group setting.
Encourage the patient’s active participation in decision-making about their treatment, which can increase their sense of control and engagement.
Help patients set clear and achievable goals for their rehabilitation, which can provide a sense of achievement and motivation.
Offer psychological support services to help patients manage stress, anxiety and other emotional problems that may affect their participation in rehabilitation.
Gamification, using gamification to improve patient engagement
Gamification in rehabilitation uses game elements, such as points, levels, rewards and challenges, to make therapeutic exercises and tasks more engaging and motivating for patients. By integrating clear goals, immediate feedback and an entertainment component, gamification can increase adherence to rehabilitation programmes.
For example, professional software with virtual reality allows the creation of interactive and stimulating environments, where patients exercise while playing.
This not only improves motivation and engagement, but also provides continuous feedback that allows treatment to be adjusted in real time, improving clinical outcomes.
In addition, friendly competition and collaboration between patients through challenges and leaderboards can foster a sense of community and support, reducing the stress and anxiety associated with rehabilitation.
In short, gamification transforms rehabilitation into a more dynamic and engaging experience, thus increasing the effectiveness and enjoyment of the therapeutic process.
Want to see how gamification improves patient engagement?
All you need is a computer running Windows 10 or 11 to try out the Rehametrics programme and you will see how you can deliver much more engaging rehabilitation sessions.
Ask here for more information or a free trial without obligation.
