A Qualitative Study of Professional Issues in Home Health Therapy

Professional issues are experienced by physical and occupational therapists working in home health care. A grounded theory method was utilized with snowball sampling to interview 11 home health physical therapists and six occupational therapists working with a variety of populations in the home health setting. Major themes were identified separately for physical and occupational therapy using open, axial, and selective coding. The themes were then recoded for shared themes among the two professions. The major research questions included the following: What professional issues are encountered by therapists working in home health care? What type of benefits and barriers do therapists describe when providing home health services? Finally, how do professional issues compare between the different professions? The five major themes identified by physical therapists included work environment, work characteristics, communication, patient and family, and work-life balance. The themes identified by occupational therapists included the natural environment, the context of health care, client factors, and therapist factors. Common themes described by both physical and occupational therapy providers included the real-life environment of the home, the structure of home care, and autonomy of service provision. Results provide information about professional issues faced by therapists working in the home health care setting. There are a number of issues that are common to both professions, and others that appear to be discipline specific. These findings will guide professional efforts as the demands for professionals working in home care increase.