Client Satisfaction with Physical Therapy Services

This article explores the question of whether older clients tend to hold significantly different attitudes toward physical therapy services compared to adults in younger age groups. Opinions expressed by 433 clients age 65+years about the accessibility and outcomes of community-based physical therapy are contrasted with those given by clients between 50 to 64 years (n = 438) and 18 and 49 years (n = 861). Data were collected using a standardized, computer-assisted telephone interview protocol administered by trained interviewers. Analyses revealed that older clients tended to rate accessibility of services more positively and were more likely to agree that their physical therapist had helped them to understand and manage their health condition better. The findings suggest that age group may be correlated with satisfaction with access to services, but is notrelated to satisfaction with health-related outcomes.