Pelvic Floor Muscle Training strategies to empower patients: a critical Incident qualitative study

This study explored the perceived strategies adopted by physiotherapists to empower patients during Pelvic Floor Muscle Training (PFMT). A semi-structured interview qualitative study following Flanagan’s Critical Incident Technique (CIT) was conducted. Interviews focused on significant clinical cases related to patient empowerment in PFMT (successful and non-successful cases). Data analysis followed Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA). Eighteen Italian physiotherapists were interviewed (Women <i>N</i> = 16; Men <i>N</i> = 2), and 67 cases were collected and analysed. Five themes were generated, providing a novel, in-depth understanding of patient empowerment in PFMT expanding the focus on physiotherapists’ perspectives: (1) ‘Building a powerful therapeutic alliance’, as participants reported how the patient-physiotherapist relationship was fundamental to get early patients’ empowerment; (2) ‘Debunking myth and managing expectations through education’, crucial to start the empowerment process; (3) ‘Planning tailored and relevant PFMT’, emphasising personalised PFMT plans to empower and engage patients; (4) ‘Creating a caring network of professionals and significant others’, highlighting support from different healthcare professionals patients’ social network; and (5) ‘The importance of continuous remote support in self-management’. Our results highlighted that PFMT empowerment, from the perspective of this group of physiotherapists, requires a holistic, patient-centered approach that integrates communication, education, collaboration, and continuous support to achieve long-term success. These results provide a comprehensive framework that aligns with existing findings in PFMT patients and holds the potential for shaping future PFMT interventions and informing empowerment strategies for physiotherapists. Future studies should expand on other populations and test PFMT programmes.