Which factors influence patients' physical activity?

For her MSc thesis, Kirsten de Klein carried out an analysis of the perspectives of hospitalized patients and health care professionals. Hospitalization is often associated with adverse outcomes, mainly due to patients’ frequent bed rest episodes and a low mobility. This can result in the inability to individually perform basic Activities of Daily Living, often leading to a Hospitalization-Associated Disability (HAD). HADs need to be prevented to increase patients’ health. This can be done by increasing patients’ physical activity, which is currently too low. To objective of the study is to give an overview of factors that influence patients’ physical activity by gaining insight in the perspectives of patients and healthcare professionals (HCP) with regard to the daily physical activity of patients. This has been studied by carrying out 17 semi-structured interviews with patients and three types of HCP. To increase patients’ physical activity, and thus prevent HAD occurrences, knowledge should be improved, and a clear structure for patients as well as HCPs should be introduced. An intervention should be as tailored as possible, since patients’ needs differ greatly. This study can be evaluated as a great first step in increasing patients’ physical activity and thus in improving patients’ health.