They paid attention to the whole of me in some way, both physically, mentally, and everything in between: a qualitative study of patients’ experiences of interdisciplinary rehabilitation (PREVSAM) in primary care for musculoskeletal disorders

To explore and describe patients’ experiences and perceptions of rehabilitation according to the rehabilitation model ‘Prevention of sickness absence through early identification and rehabilitation of at-risk patients with musculoskeletal pain’ (PREVSAM).
A qualitative study was conducted, with individual semi-structured interviews analysed using qualitative content analysis. Fifteen patients from three primary care rehabilitation clinics in Sweden who had undergone rehabilitation based on the PREVSAM model participated.
Four categories were identified from the participants’ experiences: Gratitude for the holistic view, Challenging but clarifying to create a health plan, Different needs for addressing work-related factors, and Difficulties and negative experiences. From these categories, an overarching theme was conceptualised: Grateful for being seen for who I am and given the care I need.
Participants were generally positive towards the PREVSAM model. The addition of occupational therapy and psychological treatment to physiotherapy was seen by many, albeit not all, as enriching the rehabilitation. Collaboration with the workplace was mainly considered ‘good in theory’. The wide variation in the need for support underscore the importance of person-centredness.