The acting Head of the Department of Physiotherapy, Professor Joyce Mothabeng’s paper won the best oral presentation at the 10th Tshwane district health services research conference hosted by Faculty of Health Sciences, in partnership with the Tshwane District, at the state-of-the-art engineering 4.0 building from 28 to 29 September 2023. The title of her paper was ‘Patient satisfaction with services rendered by physiotherapy students’. The paper looked at the quality of services rendered by students within the health system, in line with the conference theme ‘rethinking health systems, strengthening and promoting sustainable development’. 

Prof. Joyce Mothabeng showcases her award certicate at the Tshwane District Research Conference. 

Prof. Mothabeng presented her paper on the 28 September 2023, and could not be at the conference on the 29th due to final year students’ exams in her department; so, the award was given in her absence, and she only learned about the award the following week. When she received the email from the conference organisers informing her of the award she replied ‘I did not expect this – I am in tears, thank you!!’.

Prof. Mothabeng study focused on the satisfaction of patient treated by physiotherapy students in public and private facilities for sports and neurorehabilitation. The positive findings of the study suggest that the physiotherapy students as healthcare human resources in training are adequately equipped to render quality rehabilitation services. The study was framed within the Donabedian framework of structures, processes and outcome; which identifies patient satisfaction as one of the important outcome indicators of service quality. Evaluating patient outcomes is in line with the WHO’s vision to strengthen rehabilitation within health systems, as contributes directly to the theme of rethinking health systems.

Prof. Mothabeng is a rehabilitation researcher who teaches neurorehabilitation to physiotherapy students, hence her interest in the quality of their service which is indirectly a reflection of the quality of training.