title: Connectivity: An emerging concept for physiotherapy practice.
abstract: Having spent their first century anchored to a biomedical model of practice, physiotherapists have been increasingly interested in exploring new models and concepts that will better equip them for serving the health-care needs of 21st century clients/patients. Connectivity offers one such model. With an extensive philosophical background in phenomenology, symbolic interactionism, structuralism, and postmodern research, connectivity resists the prevailing western biomedical view that health professionals should aim to increase people's independence and autonomy, preferring instead to identify and amplify opportunities for collaboration and co-dependence. Connectivity critiques the normalization that underpins modern health care, arguing that our constant search for deviance is building stigma and discrimination into our everyday practice. It offers provocative opportunities for physiotherapists to rethink some of the fundamental tenets of their profession and better align physiotherapy with 21st century societal expectations. In this paper, we provide a background to the place connectivity may play in future health care, and most especially future physiotherapy practice. The paper examines some of the philosophical antecedents that have made connectivity an increasingly interesting and challenging concept in health care today.
authors.affiliation: a School of Public Health and Psychosocial Studies , AUT University , Auckland , New Zealand.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Nicholls
authors.affiliation: b Department of Allied Health Professions and Midwifery , University of Hertfordshire , Hatfield , UK.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Atkinson
authors.affiliation: c Department of Health Sciences , Institute of Health and Society , Blindern , Oslo , Norway.
authors.forename: Wenche S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Bjorbækmo
authors.affiliation: d Department of Physical Therapy , University of Toronto , Toronto , Ontario , Canada.
authors.forename: Barbara E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.affiliation: e School of Social Sciences , Cardiff University , Cardiff , UK.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Latchem
authors.affiliation: f Neurorehabiliteringen Regionshospitalet Skive, Hammel Neurocenter , Skive , Denmark.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Olesen
authors.affiliation: g RehabWorks Ltd , Bury St Edmunds , Suffolk , UK.
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ralls
authors.affiliation: h School of Psychology, Department of Health and Behavioural Sciences , The University of Queensland , St Lucia , Queensland , Australia.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Setchell
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D017004:Codependency, Psychological; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D059825:Physical Therapists / Q000523:psychology*; D026761:Physical Therapy Specialty / Q000379:methods*; D024382:Professional Role; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D012919:Social Behavior; D013561:Symbolism
keywords: Connectivity; phenomenology; physiotherapy; postmodernism; structuralism; symbolic interactionism