PATIENT CARE, ETHICS AND PROFESSIONALISM IN PHYSIOTHERAPY PRACTICE

Abstract

Physiotherapy is an essential component of modern healthcare that focuses on restoring movement, improving functional independence, reducing pain, and enhancing quality of life. Along with clinical competence, physiotherapists must maintain high standards of patient care, ethical behavior, and professionalism. Ethical physiotherapy practice promotes patient dignity, autonomy, confidentiality, justice, and accountability. Professionalism ensures trust between the therapist, patient, and healthcare system. This chapter discusses the principles of patient-centered care, ethical issues in physiotherapy, professional conduct, communication skills, legal responsibilities, cultural competence, informed consent, documentation, and challenges faced in contemporary physiotherapy practice. Patient care is one of the most important responsibilities of a physiotherapist. It involves providing safe, effective, compassionate, and evidence-based treatment to individuals suffering from injury, disability, pain, or movement disorders. In physiotherapy practice, patient care is not limited only to physical treatment but also includes emotional support, patient education, prevention of complications, and rehabilitation.