Studying Stigma Within the Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Field while Examining the Patient-Physical Therapist Relationship: An Argument for the Introduction of Industrial Design Practices
Description
ABSTRACTThis study focuses on the patient-therapist relationship in the physical therapy and
rehabilitative field. It also studies the concept of stigma that users of assistive and
rehabilitative devices face intrinsically and extrinsically. Stigma users of these devices
face while going through therapy often leads to device abandonment and regression in
rehabilitation. The purpose of this study is to identify the most common types of stigma
experienced by these users, to evaluate how patients and therapist interact, and what
possible gaps in communication they may have, ultimately to explore the potential
benefits of incorporating industrial design practices into the physical therapy and
rehabilitative field, in an attempt to alleviate the identify pain points in regards to the
aforementioned. A mixed-method qualitative/quantitative approach was taken through
the use of survey, interviews, and observational study. Weekly, 2-3 hour site visits to
SWAN Rehab in Phoenix, AZ were made to conduct said interviews and observation,
while digital surveys were dispersed through multiple online channels. Key findings
include that common stigmas experienced by device users are being labeled as “other”
or being seen as “less than” by others, and that assistive and rehabilitative devices leave
much to be desired. Lastly, the implementation of an industrial designer into the
patient-therapist relationship is a route that needs to be explored further. Agile design is
a facet of industrial design that may prove useful in this field, but require future research
to substantiate. This future research may include applied projects involving a patient,
therapist, and designer, where assistive and rehabilitative devices are customized
specifically for the patient in question. An ethnographic study is also necessary to gain a
deeper understanding of what physical therapy truly entails.
Keywords: Stigma, Patient-Therapist Relationship, Industrial Design
Date Created
The date the item was original created (prior to any relationship with the ASU Digital Repositories.)
2023
Agent
- Author (aut): Janes, Solomon
- Thesis advisor (ths): Takamura, John
- Committee member: Shin, Dosun
- Committee member: Hoffner, Kristin
- Publisher (pbl): Arizona State University