In line with wider society expectations for information to be available and accessed digitally, RBWH Director of Physiotherapy Mark Cruikshank and his team reviewed and are redesigning the way education and information is provided by the RBWH Physiotherapy Department to align with patients’ needs, preferences, and expectations.

Patient education and advice is a cornerstone of physiotherapy practice. Ensuring that an individual and their support person/s understand their presenting health condition, and how to safely and appropriately move and function within its confines benefits both the patient and the health system.

The RBWH Physiotherapy Department provides over 160,000 consultations each year across Emergency, Inpatient and Outpatient services and has an involvement in almost all clinical services.

Patient education and information is often referred to multiple times during treatment and can also be relevant and required at a later timepoint of their care.

Currently, patients are provided written instruction on a case-by-case basis. It is anticipated that web-based resources will enable relevant information to be accessed at any given time and place from the convenience of a mobile device (93% of Australians own a smart phone).

With 44% of adults identified having a low literacy level, adapting resources to various mediums, including video, will facilitate choice and control in how consumers access information, and facilitate health equity. Translating resources will also support the 22.8% of the Australian community that speak a language other than English.

Mark Cruikshank and his team, particularly Project Officer Elizabeth Ryan, worked in collaboration with researchers, steering committee members, clinicians, website designers, videographer and 24 consumer representatives to ensure improved access to physiotherapy information at RBWH.

In a survey involving 54 participants, 61% expressed a preference for online physiotherapy information, highlighting the need for digital accessibility. Subsequent focus groups, including 24 consumers and 24 clinicians, led to the redesign of resources across 7 clinical teams. Feedback shaped the finalised resources, including a revamped RBWH Physiotherapy website featuring 13 clinical pages, hyperlinks, and two patient experience stories.

This digital platform caters to the 52% desiring post-discharge information and the 43% seeking pre-appointment details. Moreover, the resources have been translated to the top 5 languages spoken by RBWH patients, providing equity and respect to those assessing the materials.

The initiative fosters consumer-friendly resources, exemplified by key departmental materials. The project not only enhances the website but establishes a systematic approach for engaging consumers and setting standards for resource development, ensuring improved access to physiotherapy information for future consumers.