Abstract

We explored outpatient’s perceptions on the quality of physiotherapy care provided in three urban primary care centers of Valdivia, Chile, through a descriptive phenomenological study. We collected data from 21 participants through semistructured interviews which were analyzed using the Colaizzi approach. Two main themes emerged: quality related to the professional and structure of the care system. Perceptions about the care received from the physiotherapist are influenced by factors such as communication, the way they treat the patient, and the trust established between patient and professional. In addition, structural aspects such as allocation of spaces, technical equipment and rehabilitation devices, access to centers, and the availability of the physiotherapist affect satisfaction and the perception of the quality of the service received. As it occurs in other health services provided by different health-care professionals, the quality of physiotherapy care is related to subjective (relational) and objective (structural) perceptions.