Spiritual Needs Fulfillment in Physiotherapy Inpatients: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study

Abstract

Background: Holistic physiotherapy care recognizes that recovery is influenced not only by physical interventions but also by psychosocial and spiritual factors. For hospitalized patients undergoing physiotherapy, unmet spiritual needs may reduce motivation, coping capacity, and engagement in rehabilitation.
Objective: To describe the level of spiritual needs fulfillment among physiotherapy inpatients and to examine its distribution across patient characteristics.
Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 50 physiotherapy inpatients in the Flamboyan Ward of BLUD RSUD dr. T.C. Hillers Maumere. Participants were recruited using accidental sampling based on predefined inclusion criteria. Spiritual needs fulfillment was assessed using a structured questionnaire encompassing six dimensions: meaning and purpose of life, relationship with God, spiritual practices, religious obligations, interpersonal connections, and professional interaction with physiotherapists. Data were analyzed using univariate descriptive statistics and presented as frequencies and percentages.
Results: Most participants were aged over 60 years (48%) and had a primary education level (62%). Fulfillment of meaning and purpose of life and relationship with God was reported by all respondents (100%). High levels of fulfillment were also observed for spiritual practices (96%), religious obligations (94%), interpersonal connections (96%), and professional interaction (98%). The pattern of spiritual needs fulfillment was consistently high across all respondent characteristics.
Conclusion: Spiritual needs among physiotherapy inpatients were predominantly well fulfilled across all assessed dimensions. These findings highlight the importance of integrating spiritual awareness into routine physiotherapy practice to support holistic, patient-centered rehabilitation.