PHYSIOTHERAPISTS IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT: AN EMERGING ROLE

Juneja H1, Platon R2, Soerensen UM3, Praestegaard J41University College Absalon, Physiotherapy, Næstved, Denmark, 2Naestved Slagelse Ringsted Hospitals, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy, Slagelse, Denmark, 3Horsens Hospital, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy, Horsens, Denmark, 4University College Absalon, Centre for Nutrition and Rehabilitation, Næstved, DenmarkBackground: Healthcare delivery all over the world is undergoing tremendous changes and therefore the physiotherapist's scope of practice is also constantly expanding to cover broader and more complex problems. The role of physiotherapists in the emergency room is a fairly recent professional development and is limited to very few countries still. Although there is an increasing evidence that physiotherapist in the emergency room can be a valuable addition to the multidisciplinary emergency team, there is a degree of uncertainty on the role and its benefits in the healthcare system.Purpose: The purpose of this update is to highlight the current status of the Emergency Physiotherapy Practitioner(EPP) role in the Danish healthcare system and identify key areas that demand focus for the role to evolve.Methods: Danish hospitals that have currently employed physiotherapists in the emergency room were contacted for information on the role and its success in the healthcare system. Literature on current status of the role in the international context was searched using relevant electronic sources. Competency requirements, number and type of patients treated and developments since the introduction of EPP were discussed with physiotherapists working in the emergency rooms. Integration of the EPP in the emergency team, perceptions of other healthcare staff and patient satisfaction were additional factors that were examined.Results: Based on the discussions with Danish EPP's, it is evident that physiotherapy services in the emergency room are a valuable addition to the healthcare system. There seems to be a consensus among EPPs about enhanced patient care and satisfaction. Competency requirements for the role need standardization in order to suit the needs of the high-pressure emergency environment. There are possible economic benefits of this role also because of reduced admissions in selected orthopaedic patients, which need to be documented objectively for the role to be advocated. The professional issues identified here are in accordance with the limited literature available on the topicConclusion(s): Although vigorous research is needed to study the benefits of EPP role, preliminary discussions with two Danish hospitals and available literature from countries where the role exists, appears to be very encouraging. There seems to be a positive effect on various parameters of quality of care and service delivery but the extent of these impacts need to be studied further through robust studies.Implications: Physiotherapists in the emergency room should be seen as one of the most striking developments in our profession in the recent times and should be adopted by our fraternity for the role to develop in future. Physiotherapists have a unique set of knowledge and skills, which in certain cases could contribute to improved patient care in the emergency departments. However, it is critical that this addition in emergency department is perceived positively by all stakeholders for the role to evolve.Keywords: Emergency Physiotherapy Practitioner(EPP), professional development, competenciesFunding acknowledgements: University College Absalon (Center for Nutrition and Rehabilitation), Slagelse Hospital and Horsens Hospital Topic: Professional practice: other; Professional practice: other; Professional issues: business skills, leadership & advocacyEthics approval required: NoInstitution: University College AbsalonEthics committee: Internal Ethical CommitteeReason not required: The study was primarily aimed to explore a new role of physiotherapists and did not have any human/animal interventions or testing. No personal patient data has been used in this study. In view of this, the ethical approval was not required for this study.All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.