Passage 7
The addition of motivational strategies to a rehabilitation program is thought to
enhance patient adherence and improve outcomes. However, little is known about
how rehabilitation professionals motivate stroke patients during rehabilitation. The
primary objective of this study was to provide a comprehensive and quantitative
list of motivational strategies for stroke rehabilitation. In addition, we aimed to
examine (1) whether professionals with more clinical experience used a higher
number of motivational strategies, (2) the purpose for using each strategy, and (3)
the information considered when choosing strategies.
This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted using a web survey with
a convenience sample of 407 rehabilitation professionals including physicians,
nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language-hearing
therapists.
We received data for 362 participants. Fifteen strategies were found to be used
by more than 75% of the respondents to motivate their patients. Almost all of the
respondents reported that they actively listened to and praised their patients to
increase patient adherence to rehabilitation programs. Respondents with more
clinical experience tended to use a higher number of motivational strategies (rho
= 0.208, p < 0.001). For 11 of the 15 strategies selected by more than 75% of the
respondents, the highest percentage of respondents reported that they used
the strategies to make rehabilitation worthwhile for their patients. The majority of
respondents reported that they decided which motivational strategy to use by
considering comprehensive information regarding the patient health condition,
environmental factors, and personal factors.
The comprehensive list of motivational strategies obtained may be useful for
increasing patient adherence to rehabilitation, especially for professionals with
less clinical experience. Furthermore, our findings regarding the purpose for using
each strategy and the information considered when choose strategies might help
rehabilitation professionals to optimally utilize the motivational strategy list.
Motivational Strategies for Stroke Rehabilitation: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional
Study. Adapted from Oyake et al. (2020).
A therapist focusing on the goal of “mak[ing] rehabilitation worthwhile for
their patients” is most closely aligned with which of the following theories of
motivation?
A) Drive reduction theory
B) Incentive theory
C) Cognitive theory
D) Need-based theory
Correct answer is B
When working with patients, therapists may choose to focus on a wide variety
of things in order to increase their patients’ motivation. A therapist who aspires
to make rehabilitation worthwhile is either consciously or unconsciously making
a judgment about what the patient believes to be worthwhile–or, perhaps, the
therapist will directly ask the patient what they believe is worthwhile. Ultimately,
what the patient considers to be worthwhile is a cognitive value, or something the
patient thinks about and judges to be true. For this reason, a therapist who focuses
on identifying what a client perceives as valuable is likely aligned with the cognitive
theory of motivation, which focuses on the ways that thoughts and judgments
become the reasons behind human action. Thus, Answer B is correct.
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