What are the perceived needs of Pakistani women in the North west of England in relation to physiotherapy, and to what extent do they feel their needs are being met?

ObjectiveTo gain an insight into the needs of female Pakistani service users in relation to physiotherapy.DesignA qualitative research design was utilised, drawing on ethnographic traditions and including ethnographic interviews. The interviews were transcribed and the data were analysed using thematic analysis.SettingA venue of the service user's own choosing in one geographical area of the North west of England.ParticipantsSix, Pakistani, Muslim female patients who had recently received physiotherapy from a range of specialisms. Five participants came to the UK from Pakistan, and one participant of Pakistani heritage came to the UK from East Africa. An interpreter was used in four of the six interviews.FindingsFour main themes emerged from data analysis: issues of gender; language issues including the subthemes of crosscultural communication, time and materials; role of exercise; and acquiescence.ConclusionsIt appears that physiotherapy provision for female patients with Pakistani backgrounds may be failing to meet their needs, which may affect compliance. In order to address these issues, culturally competent health care needs to be provided and the following points are worthy of consideration:
• offering service users the choice of gender of therapist and, where appropriate, the provision of single-sex exercise group sessions;
• longer appointment times for service users where English is not their first language, and the recruitment of bilingual therapists. Written instructions, in English, with pictures should be provided;
• therapists should have some understanding of the culture of their local community to enable them to incorporate the patient's culture into their management; and
• there may be a need to explore service provision where a high proportion of female Pakistani service users are failing to attend physiotherapy appointments.