Physical Therapy Facilities in Public and Private Health Care Centers in Lahore

Abstract

Physical therapists are experts who assesses and treat issues of human body basically by physical methods. They address the complaints or disorders that restrict the person's ability to move and complete various functional activities in their daily routine. Objective: The goal of the investigation is to check physical therapy facilities in public and private health care centers in Lahore. Methodology: Cross-sectional survey was conducted across different private and public health care centers of Lahore. A self – designed questionnaire was made. The sample size of this study was 150. Convenient sampling technique has been used in this study for collection of data. Inspection of data was done by utilizing SPSS version 20, tables and charts were made. Results: Results suggested that equipment which were frequently available in most setups were ice packs, mobilization belt, and Thera bands (having the availability in more than 70% setups).The Electrotherapy modalities which were frequently available in most setups were heating pad, TENS, EMS, and massager (having the availability in more than 70% setups) 80.7% (n=88) setups having 1-5 Physical Therapists, 12.8 %( n=14) setups having 6-10 Physical Therapists and 6.4% (n=7) setups having 11 or above Physical Therapists. 64.2% (n=70) setups having the average of 1-10 Patients, 19.3 %( n=21) setups having the average of 11-20 Patients and 16.5% (n=18) setups having the average of 21 or above Patients. 13.76% (n=5) were Public/private teaching hospitals, 83.49 %( n=91) were hospital/polyclinics and 2.752% (n=3) were university physiotherapy centers. Conclusion: This study showed most frequently available equipment in most setups were ice packs, mobilization belt, and Thera bands and least available equipment were spirometer, CP chair, standing frame, parallel bars or wall bars and goniometer. Most frequently available Electrotherapy modalities in most setups were heating pad, TENS, EMS, and massager and least available electrotherapy modalities were shockwave, paraffin wax bath and Microwave diathermy. Mostly there were 1- 5 physical therapists in a health care center, daily average of patients were in between 1-10 and type of health care center from where data is collected was hospital/polyclinics. Key words: Physical therapy, facilities, electrotherapy, exercise equipment, health care centers, physiotherapist– patient ratio.