Table 2 Qualitative content analysis of experiences of healthcare consultations with women having increased IRD after childbirth among physiotherapists and midwives working in primary healthcare (n = 16), and how the health professionals experienced the management of these women
Overall theme: Ambivalence toward the phenomenon increased IRD and frustration over insufficient professional knowledge | |
|---|---|
Categories | Subcategories |
Uncertainty concerning the significance of increased IRD as a causal factor for functional problems | Unsure about the relevance of increased IRD as a clinical health problem |
Indecisiveness about whether the increased media focus on increased IRD had helped to highlight an important women’s health issue or had faultily made a health problem of something essentially normal | |
Perceived insufficient professional knowledge base for the management of increased IRD | Lack of education during physiotherapy and midwife university studies about the management of increased IRD |
A perceived lack of concern from the central healthcare organisation in extending the knowledge base for the management of increased IRD by clinical guidelines and education | |
Dependency on possibly non-evidence based information conveyed by the media and commercial fitness coaches for the management of increased IRD | |
Lack of inter-professional collaboration and teamwork in the management of patients with increased IRD | Perceived differences between physiotherapists and midwives in regard to professional knowledge and competence emphasised the need for extended inter-professional collaboration |
Need for local routines describing teamwork, referral pathways and when/who to refer to special competences | |