{"id":{"repo_id":"uwo","oai_identifier":"oai:uwo.scholaris.ca:20.500.14721/31934"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/uwo/oai:uwo.scholaris.ca:20.500.14721/31934","repository":{"repo_id":"uwo","name":"Western University","base_url":"https://uwo.scholaris.ca/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Searching for the 'Good' in Physiotherapist Practice: Toward an Ethic of Care","abstract":"The qualities and practices of a ‘good’ physiotherapist have not been systematically reviewed nor have practitioners’ perspectives been empirically investigated. Understanding what constitutes a ‘good’ physiotherapist has potentially profound implications that may inform professional priorities including education curricula, professional practices, competency profiles, and patient interactions. The research purpose was to examine perceptions of what constitutes a ‘good’ physiotherapist. This dissertation includes four integrated manuscripts. The first is an integrative review to critically examine how physiotherapists and patients describe the qualities of a ‘good’ MSK physiotherapist as depicted in peer-reviewed literature. Six qualities were identified as: responsive, ethical, communicative, caring, competent, and collaborative. The second and third manuscripts are hermeneutic phenomenological investigations that draw on Joan Tronto’s ethic of care theory as a theoretical perspective. The second manuscript is an examination of twelve physiotherapists’ accounts of what constitutes a ‘good’ physiotherapist garnered from semi-structured phenomenological interviews. Seven themes were identified. Two broad themes highlighted an ethical orientation to care and the integration of person-centered care with evidence-based practice. These were underpinned by more specific themes of ‘being’ competent, responsive, reflective, communicative, and ‘using’ reasoning. The third manuscript was a secondary analysis of data arising in the hermeneutic phenomenological study focused on practitioners’ accounts of ‘responsiveness’ in the practice of a ‘good’ physiotherapist. Six identified themes included: being person-centred, being attentive, being open, being a listener, being validating, and being positive. The fourth manuscript is a reflexive account of my transformed understanding of what counts as professional knowledge in physiotherapy. These studies offer perspectives suggesting the qualities and practices of a ‘good’ physiotherapist are a balance of technical competence intertwined with a relational way of being. An ethics of care is proposed to be central to the practice of a ‘good’ physiotherapist and supported by being responsive as a moral imperative. Practicing with a relational approach within a framework of practical wisdom may facilitate integration of person-centred approaches with evidence-based practices. The findings call into question the profession’s predominant emphasis on a technical rationalist approach to practice, education, and research, and invites conversation about balancing technical competence with relational dimensions of practice. .","abstract_html":"The qualities and practices of a ‘good’ physiotherapist have not been systematically reviewed nor have practitioners’ perspectives been empirically investigated. Understanding what constitutes a ‘good’ physiotherapist has potentially profound implications that may inform professional priorities including education curricula, professional practices, competency profiles, and patient interactions. The research purpose was to examine perceptions of what constitutes a ‘good’ physiotherapist. This dissertation includes four integrated manuscripts. The first is an integrative review to critically examine how physiotherapists and patients describe the qualities of a ‘good’ MSK physiotherapist as depicted in peer-reviewed literature. Six qualities were identified as: responsive, ethical, communicative, caring, competent, and collaborative. The second and third manuscripts are hermeneutic phenomenological investigations that draw on Joan Tronto’s ethic of care theory as a theoretical perspective. The second manuscript is an examination of twelve physiotherapists’ accounts of what constitutes a ‘good’ physiotherapist garnered from semi-structured phenomenological interviews. Seven themes were identified. Two broad themes highlighted an ethical orientation to care and the integration of person-centered care with evidence-based practice. These were underpinned by more specific themes of ‘being’ competent, responsive, reflective, communicative, and ‘using’ reasoning. The third manuscript was a secondary analysis of data arising in the hermeneutic phenomenological study focused on practitioners’ accounts of ‘responsiveness’ in the practice of a ‘good’ physiotherapist. Six identified themes included: being person-centred, being attentive, being open, being a listener, being validating, and being positive. The fourth manuscript is a reflexive account of my transformed understanding of what counts as professional knowledge in physiotherapy. These studies offer perspectives suggesting the qualities and practices of a ‘good’ physiotherapist are a balance of technical competence intertwined with a relational way of being. An ethics of care is proposed to be central to the practice of a ‘good’ physiotherapist and supported by being responsive as a moral imperative. Practicing with a relational approach within a framework of practical wisdom may facilitate integration of person-centred approaches with evidence-based practices. The findings call into question the profession’s predominant emphasis on a technical rationalist approach to practice, education, and research, and invites conversation about balancing technical competence with relational dimensions of practice. .","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Kleiner, Michelle J"],"institution":"The University of Western Ontario","degree_name":"Ph D","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Health and Rehabilitation Sciences","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Walton, David M.","Kinsella. 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In citing or referring to this thesis, use the DOI or handle from this page instead. Sample citation: Author name, \"Thesis title.\" (Year). Western University Open Repository. https://doi.org/10.71858/123456."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The qualities and practices of a ‘good’ physiotherapist have not been systematically reviewed nor have practitioners’ perspectives been empirically investigated. Understanding what constitutes a ‘good’ physiotherapist has potentially profound implications that may inform professional priorities including education curricula, professional practices, competency profiles, and patient interactions. The research purpose was to examine perceptions of what constitutes a ‘good’ physiotherapist. This dissertation includes four integrated manuscripts. The first is an integrative review to critically examine how physiotherapists and patients describe the qualities of a ‘good’ MSK physiotherapist as depicted in peer-reviewed literature. Six qualities were identified as: responsive, ethical, communicative, caring, competent, and collaborative. The second and third manuscripts are hermeneutic phenomenological investigations that draw on Joan Tronto’s ethic of care theory as a theoretical perspective. The second manuscript is an examination of twelve physiotherapists’ accounts of what constitutes a ‘good’ physiotherapist garnered from semi-structured phenomenological interviews. Seven themes were identified. Two broad themes highlighted an ethical orientation to care and the integration of person-centered care with evidence-based practice. These were underpinned by more specific themes of ‘being’ competent, responsive, reflective, communicative, and ‘using’ reasoning. The third manuscript was a secondary analysis of data arising in the hermeneutic phenomenological study focused on practitioners’ accounts of ‘responsiveness’ in the practice of a ‘good’ physiotherapist. Six identified themes included: being person-centred, being attentive, being open, being a listener, being validating, and being positive. The fourth manuscript is a reflexive account of my transformed understanding of what counts as professional knowledge in physiotherapy. These studies offer perspectives suggesting the qualities and practices of a ‘good’ physiotherapist are a balance of technical competence intertwined with a relational way of being. An ethics of care is proposed to be central to the practice of a ‘good’ physiotherapist and supported by being responsive as a moral imperative. Practicing with a relational approach within a framework of practical wisdom may facilitate integration of person-centred approaches with evidence-based practices. The findings call into question the profession’s predominant emphasis on a technical rationalist approach to practice, education, and research, and invites conversation about balancing technical competence with relational dimensions of practice. ."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Searching for the 'Good' in Physiotherapist Practice: Toward an Ethic of Care"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Walton, David M.","Kinsella. Elizabeth Anne"],"dc:creator":["Kleiner, Michelle J"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-07-10T19:24:29Z"],"dc:date.available":["2025-07-10T19:24:29Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2022-03-01"],"dc:description":["The thesis cover page in the PDF document includes references to Western University’s previous institutional repository platform, known as Scholarship@Western, and links to that platform (beginning with ir.lib.uwo.ca). In citing or referring to this thesis, use the DOI or handle from this page instead. Sample citation: Author name, \"Thesis title.\" (Year). Western University Open Repository. https://doi.org/10.71858/123456."],"dc:description.abstract":["The qualities and practices of a ‘good’ physiotherapist have not been systematically reviewed nor have practitioners’ perspectives been empirically investigated. Understanding what constitutes a ‘good’ physiotherapist has potentially profound implications that may inform professional priorities including education curricula, professional practices, competency profiles, and patient interactions. The research purpose was to examine perceptions of what constitutes a ‘good’ physiotherapist. This dissertation includes four integrated manuscripts. The first is an integrative review to critically examine how physiotherapists and patients describe the qualities of a ‘good’ MSK physiotherapist as depicted in peer-reviewed literature. Six qualities were identified as: responsive, ethical, communicative, caring, competent, and collaborative. The second and third manuscripts are hermeneutic phenomenological investigations that draw on Joan Tronto’s ethic of care theory as a theoretical perspective. The second manuscript is an examination of twelve physiotherapists’ accounts of what constitutes a ‘good’ physiotherapist garnered from semi-structured phenomenological interviews. Seven themes were identified. Two broad themes highlighted an ethical orientation to care and the integration of person-centered care with evidence-based practice. These were underpinned by more specific themes of ‘being’ competent, responsive, reflective, communicative, and ‘using’ reasoning. The third manuscript was a secondary analysis of data arising in the hermeneutic phenomenological study focused on practitioners’ accounts of ‘responsiveness’ in the practice of a ‘good’ physiotherapist. Six identified themes included: being person-centred, being attentive, being open, being a listener, being validating, and being positive. The fourth manuscript is a reflexive account of my transformed understanding of what counts as professional knowledge in physiotherapy. These studies offer perspectives suggesting the qualities and practices of a ‘good’ physiotherapist are a balance of technical competence intertwined with a relational way of being. An ethics of care is proposed to be central to the practice of a ‘good’ physiotherapist and supported by being responsive as a moral imperative. Practicing with a relational approach within a framework of practical wisdom may facilitate integration of person-centred approaches with evidence-based practices. The findings call into question the profession’s predominant emphasis on a technical rationalist approach to practice, education, and research, and invites conversation about balancing technical competence with relational dimensions of practice. ."],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14721/31934"],"dc:language.iso":["en_ca"],"dc:publisher":["The University of Western Ontario"],"dc:subject":["clinical competence","professional-patient relations","musculoskeletal","patient-centered care","hermeneutic phenomenology","phronesis"],"dc:title":["Searching for the 'Good' in Physiotherapist Practice: Toward an Ethic of Care"],"dc:type":["thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Health and Rehabilitation Sciences"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ph D"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T21:56:13Z"}