A Brief History of Emergency Department-Based Physical Therapy in North America: The Evolution of Practice and Research

ABSTRACT Background and Purpose: Physical therapist (PT) consultation in the Emergency Department (ED) has evolved significantly over the past 25 years. This review serves to summarize the nature of these changes and the advancement of related literature. Methods: To provide a historical narrative of the evolution of ED PT practice, a detailed search of the peer reviewed literature was conducted and summarized. Results: Practice of physical therapy in international EDs sets the precent for development of programs in the United States and Canada. ED PT programs in the early to late 2000s were rare, and supportive literature was largely theoretical or descriptive. The 2010s brought a proliferation of programs and the emergence of evidence establishing the effectiveness of ED PT services. Contemporary research has established that these services not only improve patient outcomes but are cost-effective. Conclusion and Discussion: This article illustrates the growth and development of ED PT practice in the United States and Canada and describes the evolution of supportive literature. Practitioners with aspirations of developing ED PT programs in their respective facilities may incorporate these ideas into efforts to promote implementation of these services to hospital administrators and managers on the value of implementing these services.