Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine differences between stroke outpatients and physical therapists in terms of understanding the goals of physical therapy. In this study, sixty physical therapy goal items and the Q-technique (factor analysis) were used. Twenty-nine pairs of stroke outpatients and physical therapists participated in this study. The results indicated the following: 1) most stroke outpatients believed that improvements in the movement functions and gait functions were their own physical therapy goals; 2) most physical therapists believed that improvements in the gait functions were goals for convalescent stroke outpatients, and that realizing a community and social life were goals for chronic stroke outpatients; and 3) therefore, there were differences between stroke outpatients and physical therapists understanding of the goals of physical therapy. These results suggest that stroke outpatients and physical therapists need a system for involving patients in the establishment of physical therapy goals.
