CPA President’s and CEO’s Message

It's far more important to know what person the disease has than what disease the person has.

—Hippocrates

Our theme, “Human Behaviour and How it Affects Practice,” asks a complex question with a simple answer: completely. The humanity of care is arguably as important as the science. As Hippocrates urged nearly 2,500 years ago, health professionals must know the person and understand their emotional state before optimal treatment is possible.

"Am I treating my patient, or am I treating her condition?" Hopefully you are providing care to the whole person. Your expertise is being applied to a specific condition or injury, but the goal is to improve quality of life. This can only be achieved by understanding your patient, empathizing with their condition, and anticipating how they will react emotionally to treatment. That is not to say that human behaviour is immune to analysis and clinical application. Rather, it requires us to understand and apply psychology, the scientific study of the human mind, as an integral part of physiotherapy practice.

It is also important to understand that our own behaviour changes the perspective of the patient, and affects treatment outcome. You may be an excellent diagnostician, and provide optimal technical care, but without a positive attitude and empathy you may compromise patient care. In reaction to an injury you might say; "That is terrible. Worst swollen knee I've seen in years." Instead you could say; "That is lovely. Look how well your body is reacting to this injury, swelling just like it is supposed to." Which behaviour do you think will be more beneficial to the patient?

Few other health professionals spend more time with patients one-on-one. We often serve a significant role in the patient's support system. Many of us have experienced having patients 'unload' on us with frustrations, anxieties and pleas for help that go beyond our role as physical therapist. The better we are as listeners, the better care we can provide.

There are many other psychological considerations to our work. Simple touch can be therapeutic in and of itself. We can help patients minimize fear avoidance and dependence on passive treatments — red flags for development of chronic pain. Through friendly and firm guidance we can help change patients' attitudes about passive lifestyles and over-consumption.

We should not let the 'physical' in physiotherapy limit our perspective. Human behaviour is both physical and psychological. To provide the best care we must understand the effect each aspect has on the other, and apply ourselves to the treatment of the entire person.

Rob Werstine PT, MSc, FCAMPT
President, Canadian Physiotherapy Association

Michael Brennan
Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Physiotherapy Association