Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
Unit of Intervention and Implementation Research for Worker Health, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
PLoS One. 2024 Aug 16;19(8):e0308945. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0308945. eCollection 2024.
This study examined manual therapy business owners' perception of official recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact on their clinics' economic performance, including clinic activity hours and business turnover.
In a longitudinal study design, data were collected in November 2021 (baseline), and after three months, six months, and 12 months. Participants were manual therapists who were business owners. A growth curve model was used to analyze differences in clinical activity trajectories. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between perceived disruptions in business and turnover. Qualitative text analysis was used to examine participants' responses to open-ended questions concerning economic measures taken to sustain their business during the pandemic.
This study of 443 manual therapy business owners found that clinics were initially active with minimal variation, but activity changed following COVID-19 recommendations. Business owners perceived that the disruptions had no significant impact on turnover during the initial stages of the official recommendations. Economic support and the previous decrease in turnover increased the likelihood of experiencing a decreased turnover at 12 months. Business owners implemented cost-cutting measures and diversified income sources to navigate COVID-19 challenges and sustain their businesses.
The official recommendations in Sweden had an impact on manual therapists' businesses as the COVID-19 pandemic lingered. Some business owners were concerned at the early stages about lower turnover but showed financial resilience by cutting costs and finding new revenue sources to overcome COVID-19 challenges.
本研究考察了在 COVID-19 大流行期间，手动治疗业务所有者对官方建议的看法，以及这些建议对其诊所经济绩效的影响，包括诊所活动时间和业务营业额。
在一项纵向研究设计中，于 2021 年 11 月（基线）收集数据，并在三个月、六个月和十二个月后进行后续调查。参与者为手动治疗师，他们是企业主。使用增长曲线模型分析临床活动轨迹的差异。使用多项逻辑回归分析评估感知到的业务中断与营业额之间的关系。使用定性文本分析来检查参与者对在大流行期间为维持业务而采取的经济措施的开放性问题的回答。
这项对 443 名手动治疗业务所有者的研究发现，诊所最初的活动时间很短，变化很小，但在 COVID-19 建议之后，活动发生了变化。业务所有者认为，在官方建议的初始阶段，中断对营业额没有重大影响。经济支持和之前营业额的减少增加了在 12 个月时营业额下降的可能性。业务所有者采取了削减成本和多元化收入来源的措施，以应对 COVID-19 挑战并维持其业务。
瑞典的官方建议对手动治疗师的业务产生了影响，因为 COVID-19 大流行仍在继续。一些企业主在早期对营业额下降表示担忧，但通过削减成本和寻找新的收入来源来克服 COVID-19 挑战，表现出了财务弹性。
