Ethical misconduct by registered physiotherapists in South Africa (2007–2013): A mixed methods approach

South African Journal of Physiotherapy

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Ethical misconduct by registered physiotherapists in South Africa (2007–2013): A mixed methods approach
 
Creator Hoffmann, Willem A. Nortjé, Nico
 
Subject Physiotherapy; Professional Ethics Professional Ethics; Physiotherapists; Professional Misconduct; Fraudulent Behaviour
Description Background: The role of ethics in a medical context is to protect the interests of patients. Thus,it is critically important to understand the guilty verdicts related to professional standard breaches and ethics misconduct of physiotherapists.Aim: To analyse the case content and penalties of all guilty verdicts related to ethics misconduct against registered physiotherapists in South Africa.Methods: A mixed methods approach was followed consisting of epidemiological data analysis and qualitative content analysis. The data documents were formal annual lists (2007–2013) of guilty verdicts related to ethical misconduct. Quantitative data analysis focused on annual frequencies of guilty verdicts, transgression categories and the imposed penalties. Qualitative data analysis focused on content analysis of the case content for each guilty verdict.Results: Relatively few physiotherapists (0.05%) are annually found guilty of ethical misconduct. The two most frequent penalties were fines of R5000.00 and fines of R8000.00–R10 000.00. The majority of transgressions involved fraudulent conduct (70.3%), followed by performance of procedures without patient consent (10.8%). Fraudulent conduct involved issuing misleading, inaccurate or false medical statements, and false or inaccurate medical aid scheme claims.Conclusion: Unethical conduct by physiotherapists in South Africa occurs rarely. The majority of penalties imposed on sanctioned physiotherapists were monetary penalties.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor None
Date 2015-06-24
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Mixed Methods Approach; Epidemiological Analysis; Qualitative Research; Document Content Analysis
Format text/html application/octet-stream text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/sajp.v71i1.248
 
Source South African Journal of Physiotherapy; Vol 71, No 1 (2015); 7 pages 2410-8219 0379-6175
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://sajp.co.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/248/298 https://sajp.co.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/248/287 https://sajp.co.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/248/288 https://sajp.co.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/248/272
 
Coverage South Africa 2007-2013 All HPCSA-sanctioned physiotherapists
Rights Copyright (c) 2015 Willem A. Hoffmann, Nico Nortjé https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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