Comparison of Patient Expectations and Motivation Across Physiotherapy Settings in Malang City

Abstract

Background: Patient expectations and motivation are important psychological factors associated with engagement in physiotherapy. Differences in healthcare settings may influence these factors because private physiotherapy clinics and hospitals differ in service organization, therapist–patient interaction, and care delivery.
Objective: To compare patient expectations and motivation between patients receiving physiotherapy at a private physiotherapy clinic and a hospital in Malang City.
Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among 60 adult outpatients, including 30 patients from a private physiotherapy clinic and 30 from a hospital. Participants were recruited using total sampling. Expectations were assessed using the Credibility/Expectancy Questionnaire (CEQ), whereas motivation was measured using the Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire (TSRQ). The Shapiro–Wilk test assessed data normality. Expectation scores were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U test, whereas motivation scores were compared using the independent samples t test.
Results: Patients treated at the private physiotherapy clinic demonstrated significantly higher credibility (U = 220.0; Z = −3.467; p = 0.001; r = 0.45) and expectancy scores (U = 197.5; Z = −3.795; p < 0.001; r = 0.49) than hospital patients. Motivation scores were also higher in the private physiotherapy clinic, but the difference was not statistically significant (t(58) = 1.940; p = 0.057; mean difference = 0.467; 95% confidence interval = −0.015 to 0.949; Cohen's d = 0.50).
Conclusion: Patients receiving physiotherapy in a private physiotherapy clinic reported higher treatment expectations than hospital patients, whereas motivation did not differ significantly between settings.