Physiotherapy In Primary Health Care Research Articles

Developing Physiotherapy in Primary Health Care: A First Snapshot from the Italian Metropolitan City of Milan.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Italian National Health Service (NHS) has been undergoing a structural reform shifting focus from hospital-centered care to smaller, intermediate, or primary health facilities closer to the community (e.g., community hospitals and community houses). This reorganization should include rehabilitation and physiotherapy, but the actual spread of these services is still unclear. This study explored the number and characteristics of community-based physiotherapy services in the Metropolitan City of Milan (Italy). Between April and May 2024, we distributed a structured, anonymous online survey about community physiotherapy services and users to all Directors of the Health and Social Care Professions Departments (DAPSS) in the Metropolitan City of Milan. We used descriptive statistics to analyze the number of community houses offering physiotherapy services, the specific intervention areas, and access modalities. Six out of seven DAPSS Directors completed the survey (87%). Thirty-seven community houses were reported in the area, with fourteen of these offering physiotherapy services. In most of them, physiotherapy was a primary reason for access following a general practitioner's prescription. Five out of six responders reported that rehabilitation needs were mainly assessed by specialists in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, with physiotherapists involved in the assessment process in two cases. Physiotherapists primarily handled the intervention phase, dealing mainly with orthopedic and neurological conditions. DAPSS Directors noted that additional physiotherapy initiatives focusing on prevention will be implemented. Physiotherapy services are becoming available in the Metropolitan City of Milan. However, more efforts are needed to facilitate access and ensure tailored assessment and effective interventions, particularly in preventive care. Future investigations should help to better define the number and the characteristics of the patients who can most benefit from this type of care, the number of sessions they need, and with what types of intervention; it would be also necessary to better define the communication network in the area that allows doctors, health professionals, and patients to be informed about this possibility.

Efetividade do apoio matricial do fisioterapeuta para os agentes comunitário de saúde: um estudo quase-experimental

Abstract Introduction: Primary health care (PHC) represents the first step of a network of health care processes that have the Family Health Strategy as their foundation for reorganization, expansion and consolidation. Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of the matrix support provided by the physical therapist to the community health agents (CHAs) regarding the level of knowledge about health conditions responsive to the performance of physiotherapy in PHC. Methods: We conducted a quasi-experimental study with two groups of CHAs, divided into control (n = 6) and intervention (n = 7), totaling 13 professionals belonging to a small municipality. Matrix support took place through educational workshops, addressing the axes of maternal and child health, adult health, health of older people and musculoskeletal disorders. For the initial assessment, a semi-open questionnaire was administered with sociodemographic data and work-related questions, a structured questionnaire containing questions related to the performance of physiotherapy in PHC that presents situations from the CHA's work routine, and a semi-open survey investigating patients to be referred to physiotherapy. For the final assessment, the same instruments were reapplied, except for the sociodemographic questionnaire. Results: After the intervention, in the comparison between groups, there was a difference in the risk perception index in the axis of musculoskeletal disorders (p = 0.032) and in the identification of cases of childhood changes (p = 0.012). In the intragroup comparison, the intervention group showed a difference in risk perception in the health of the older persons and in most of the items of the referral survey (p < 0.05 for all). Conclusion: Matrix support can contribute to the shared construction of knowledge, as well as to the activation of physiotherapy in PHC by CHAs.

Construction and validation of the community health workers perception questionnaire on conditions amenable to physiotherapy in primary health care

Resumo Introdução O Agente Comunitário de Saúde (ACS), assim como o fisioterapeuta, desencadeia funções fundamentais na Atenção Primária à Saúde (APS), sendo ele-mento importante na transformação de políticas públicas. Inexistem estudos que investiguem o conhecimento dos ACS sobre as condições de saúde sensíveis à inter-venção da fisioterapia na APS. Objetivo Construir um questionário de investigação da percepção dos ACS sobre as condições de saúde sensíveis à intervenção da fisioterapia na APS. Métodos Trata-se de um estudo metodológico no qual, inicialmente, construiu-se uma matriz de análise com o intuito de englobar as ideias contempladas no questionário. Para a construção do instrumento, realizou-se uma revisão da literatura, sendo eleitas condições de saúde sensíveis à intervenção da fisioterapia na APS. Para a validação de conteúdo e aparente dos itens, 12 fisioterapeutas especialistas em APS julgaram a adequação dos itens contidos. Utilizou-se o índice de validade de conteúdo para verificar o grau de concordância durante o processo de análise das respos-tas. Posteriormente, realizou-se análise semântica por meio da compreensão dos itens por 15 ACS. Na etapa de validação, foram realizadas duas rodadas de avaliação. Foram feitos ajustes em 17 questões. Resultados O estudo resultou em um questionário com 20 questões contendo situações hipotéticas de visitas domiciliares, cuja situação do morador poderia ou não configurar um risco à saúde sensível à intervenção fisioterapêutica. Conclusão O instrumento de percepção dos ACS sobre as condições de saúde sensíveis à intervenção da fisioterapia na APS mostrou-se válido para ser utilizado no contexto da APS. A utilização do instrumento poderá contribuir na elaboração de programas de capacitação dos ACS, com o intuito de facilitar a comunicação da equipe.

Construção e validação do questionário de percepção dos Agentes Comunitários de Saúde sobre condições sensíveis à fisioterapia na Atenção Primária

Abstract Introduction Community health workers, like the physiotherapist, perform essential functions in primary health care, being an important element in the transformation of public policies. There are no reported studies investigating the knowledge of community health workers about health conditions amenable to physiotherapy intervention in primary health care. Objective To construct a questionnaire to investigate the perception of community health workers about health conditions that could be remedied by physiotherapy intervention in primary health care. Methods This was a methodological study in which it was initially an analysis matrix with the aim of encompassing the ideas contemplated in the questionnaire. To construct the instrument, a literature review was carried out, and health conditions treatable with physiotherapy in primary health care were chosen. To validate the content and appearance of the items, twelve physiotherapists specialized in primary health care judged the suitability of the items contained. The content validity index was used to determine the degree of agreement during the response analysis process. Subsequently, a semantic analysis was carried out through the understanding of the items by 15 community health workers. In the validation stage, two rounds of evaluation were carried out. Adjustments were made to 17 questions. Results The study investigated a questionnaire with 20 questions containing hypothetical situations of home visits, in which the resident's situation could or could not constitute a health risk amenable to physiotherapeutic intervention. Conclusion The community health workers perception instrument on health conditions amenable to physiotherapy intervention in primary health care proved to be valid for use in this context. The use of the instrument may contribute to the development of community health worker training programs, with the aim of facilitating team communication.

Recovery trajectories in common musculoskeletal complaints by diagnosis contra prognostic phenotypes

BackgroundThere are large variations in symptoms and prognostic factors among patients sharing the same musculoskeletal (MSK) diagnosis, making traditional diagnostic labelling not very helpful in informing treatment or prognosis. Recently, we identified five MSK phenotypes across common MSK pain locations through latent class analysis (LCA). The aim of this study was to explore the one-year recovery trajectories for pain and functional limitations in the phenotypes and describe these in relation to the course of traditional diagnostic MSK groups.MethodsWe conducted a longitudinal observational study of 147 patients with neck, back, shoulder or complex pain in primary health care physiotherapy. Data on pain intensity and function were collected at baseline (week 0) and 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 26 and 52 weeks of follow up using web-based questionnaires and mobile text messages. Recovery trajectories were described separately for the traditional diagnostic MSK groups based on pain location and the same patients categorized in phenotype groups based on prognostic factors shared among the MSK diagnostic groups.ResultsThere was a general improvement in function throughout the year of follow-up for the MSK groups, while there was a more modest decrease for pain intensity. The MSK diagnoses were dispersed across all five phenotypes, where the phenotypes showed clearly different trajectories for recovery and course of symptoms over 12 months follow-up. This variation was not captured by the single trajectory for site specific MSK diagnoses.ConclusionPrognostic subgrouping revealed more diverse patterns in pain and function recovery over 1 year than observed in the same patients classified by traditional diagnostic groups and may better reflect the diversity in recovery of common MSK disorders.

Shoulder patients in primary and specialist health care. A cross-sectional study

Shoulder pain is a prevalent problem and has a considerable impact on the use of primary and specialist health care in Norway. It is important to improve short-term recovery and reduce long-term consequences regarding pain and disability, the high costs of treatment and the amount of sick-leave. Treatment for non-specific shoulder pain is mainly non-operative. The aims of this study were to investigate if there are differences in main characteristics, pain and disability (SPADI-score) and psycho-social factors between patients in primary and specialist health care. This cross-sectional study included patients consulting physiotherapy in primary health care and patients at an outpatient clinic in specialist health care. Well-known and tested questionnaires for these populations were used and variables were divided into clinical, sociodemographic, psycho-social, and shoulder pain and disability. Descriptive statistics were applied. Two-sample t-test and linear regression were used for continuous data whereas chi-square tests and logistic regression were applied to test differences in categorical data between the two study populations. Two hundred and 36 patients were recruited from primary health care (FYSIOPRIM, Physiotherapy In Primary Care) and 167 from specialist health care. Patients in primary health care reported less regular use of pain medication (30.7 vs. 61.3%) and fewer patients had symptom duration >12months (41.9 vs. 51.0%). Furthermore, they reported lower pain intensity, less shoulder pain and disability (SPADI-score), lower scores on psycho-social factors, but higher on expectations of recovery. Patients with shoulder pain treated in primary health care and in specialist health care are different according to factors such as duration of symptoms, pain and disability, and some of the psycho-social variables. However, the differences are small and the variations within the two study samples is large. Patients treated in primary health care seemed to be less affected and to have higher expectations concerning their recovery. However, based on our results we may question why many patients are referred to specialist health care rather than continuing treatment in primary health care.

Profile of children referred to primary health care physiotherapy: a longitudinal observational study in Norway

BackgroundPhysiotherapy services are an important part of the primary health care services for children, serving a broad spectrum of children referred from different sources and for a variety of reasons. There is limited knowledge about their characteristics and outcome. The aim of this study was to describe the profile, i.e. referral patterns, baseline demographical and clinical characteristics, as well as treatment outcome at follow-up 6 months after baseline, of children receiving physiotherapy in primary health care.MethodsChildren referred to primary health care physiotherapy in a large municipality in Norway were invited to participate in this longitudinal observational study. The children’s demographics, referral sources, causes of referral, functional diagnoses, influence on their daily activities, main goals and planned treatments were registered at baseline. Goal attainment and treatment compliance were registered at follow-up maximum 6 months after baseline.ResultsThe physiotherapists registered baseline characteristics for 148 children. Parent-reported data at baseline were available for 101 (68.2%) of these children. Children were mainly referred from child health care centres (n = 74; 50.0%), hospital (n = 25; 16.9%) and kindergarten (n = 22; 14.9%). The most frequent causes of referral were concerns for motor development (n = 50; 33.8%), asymmetry (n = 40; 27.0%) and orthopaedic conditions (n = 25; 16.9%). Eighty-one (54.7%) children were below the age of 1 year. There was partly agreement between causes of referral and the physiotherapists’ functional diagnoses. Parents of 69 (71.1%) children reported that their child’s daily activities were little to not at all affected by the problem or complaint for which they were referred. Follow-up data were registered for 64 children. The main treatment goal was achieved in 37 (57.8%) and partly achieved in 26 (40.6%) children and the treatment was carried out as planned in 55 (87.3%) children.ConclusionsThe large variation in the profile of children receiving physiotherapy in a primary health care setting in Norway shows how primary health care physiotherapists can contribute to fulfil the broad purpose of the primary health care services.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03626389. Registered on August 13th 2018 (retrospectively registered).

Novel approach towards musculoskeletal phenotypes.

The multidimensional array of clinical features and prognostic factors makes it difficult to optimize management within the heterogeneity of patients with common musculoskeletal pain. This study aimed to identify phenotypes across prognostic factors and musculoskeletal complaints. Concurrent and external validity were assessed against an established instrument and a new sample, respectively, and treatment outcome was described. We conducted a longitudinal observational study of 435 patients (aged 18-67years) seeking treatment for nonspecific complaints in the neck, shoulder, low back or multisite/complex pain in primary health care physiotherapy in Norway. Latent class analysis was used to identify phenotypes based on 11 common prognostic factors within four biopsychosocial domains; pain, beliefs and thoughts, psychological and activity and lifestyle. Five distinct phenotypes were identified. Phenotype 1 (n=77, 17.7%) and 2 (n=142, 32.6%) were characterized by the lowest scores across all biopsychosocial domains. Phenotype 2 showed somewhat higher levels of symptoms across the biopsychosocial domains. Phenotype 3 (n=89, 20.5%) and 4 (n=78, 17.9%) were more affected across all domains, but phenotype 3 and 4 had opposite patterns in the psychological and pain domains. Phenotype 5 (n=49, 11.3%) were characterized by worse symptoms across all domains, indicating a complex phenotype. The identified phenotypes had good external and concurrent validity, also differentiating for the phenotypes in function and health-related quality of life outcome at 3-month follow-up. The phenotypes may inform the development of targeted interventions aimed at improving the treatment efficiency in patients with common musculoskeletal disorders. This observational prospective study identified five distinct and clinically meaningful phenotypes based on biopsychosocial prognostic factors across common musculoskeletal pain. These phenotypes were independent of primary pain location, showed good external validity, and clear variation in treatment outcome. The findings are particularly valuable as they describe the heterogeneity of patients with musculoskeletal pain and points to a need for more targeted interventions in common musculoskeletal disorders to improve treatment outcome.

Implementation of a behavioral medicine approach in physiotherapy: impact and sustainability

Purpose: To explore the effects on and sustainability of physiotherapists’ clinical behavior when using facilitation to support the implementation of a behavioral medicine approach in primary health care for patients with persistent musculoskeletal pain.Methods: A quasi-experimental pre-/post-test trial was conducted. Fifteen physiotherapists were included in the experimental group, and nine in the control group. Based on social cognitive theory and the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services framework, facilitation with multifaceted implementation methods was used during a six-month period. Clinical behaviors were investigated with a study-specific questionnaire, structured observations, self-reports and patient records. Descriptive and non-parametric statistical methods were used for analyzing differences over time and effect size.Results: A sustained increase in self-efficacy for applying the behavioral medicine approach was found. Clinical actions and verbal expressions changed significantly, and the effect size was large; however, changes were not sustained at follow-ups. The behavioral changes were mainly related to the goal setting, self-monitoring and functional behavioral analysis components. No changes in clinical behavior were found in the control group.Conclusion: Tailored multifaceted facilitation can support the implementation of a behavioral medicine approach in physiotherapy in primary health care, but more comprehensive actions targeting sustainability are needed.Implications for rehabilitationTailored multifaceted facilitation can support the implementation of an evidence based behavioral medicine approach in physiotherapy.Facilitation can be useful for increasing self-efficacy beliefs for using behavioral medicine approach in physiotherapist’s clinical practice.Further research is required to establish strategies that are effective in sustaining behavioral changes.

Fisioterapia y Atención Primaria en Salud en servicios de baja complejidad de salud en Colombia

ObjectiveTo describe the actions of Physiotherapy in Primary Health Care (PHC), in two institutions of low level of complexity in the city of Popayán, Colombia. Materials and methodsA descriptive, observational, non-probabilistic, cross-sectional study conducted in two institutions of low complexity of health care, located in the city of Popayán. Two survey-type questionnaires were used: the first one was for patients attended by physiotherapy (n=139); the second, for the health team of the institutions (n=20), to determine the participation of physiotherapy in PHC, in the first semester of 2017. ResultsThe majority of patients seen were women (63.3%). They had arterial hypertension (22.3%), and consulted for skeletomuscular diseases (44.6%). A large majority (73.1%) had access to the physiotherapy service on their own initiative or by recommendation of another person, although 75% preferred to consult the general practitioner before going to the physiotherapistFrom the health team, 100% of the physiotherapists state that they have the capacity and knowledge to treat pathologies of low complexity in health, without having to make a medical referral. Most (95%) of the professionals considered it essential for PHC to use physiotherapy, and all (100%) of them considered it necessary to participate in physiotherapy in health promotion actions, and 95% in actions to prevent disease. ConclusionsIt is shown that physiotherapists can participate in the PHC strategy in institutions of low complexity level, performing a diagnostic, health care and promotion work that is distinct and independent of the clinical work performed in the rehabilitation services.

Characteristics, course and outcome of patients receiving physiotherapy in primary health care in Norway: design of a longitudinal observational project

BackgroundPhysiotherapists (PTs) in primary health care manage patients with large variation in medical diagnosis, age, functional status, disability and prognosis. Lack of knowledge and systematically collected data from patients treated by PTs in primary health care has prompted this longitudinal observational physiotherapy project. This paper aims to describe a method for developing a database of patients managed by PTs in primary health care, with the main purpose to study patients’ characteristics, treatment courses and prognostic factors for favourable outcome.MethodsThis is a longitudinal observational project, following patients through their physiotherapy treatment periods in primary health care in Norway and until one year after inclusion. The project involves both private practitioners and municipally employed PTs working in primary health care in nine municipalities in Norway. The patients are recruited to three different cohorts depending on age and whether they are referred to a private practitioner or a municipally employed PT. All data are recorded electronically, transferred and stored securely. For all patients we have included extensive questionnaires to obtain information about demographics, disability and function, pain-related variables, psychosocial factors, treatments and evaluation of treatment as well as response to clinical tests. The PTs have access to use their own patients’ data. We have also prepared for linkage to national patient registers and data collected in population-based studies to be able to gather further important data.DiscussionThis project will have important implications for physiotherapy services in primary health care. The database contains more than 3000 patients, and data collection is ongoing. Data collected so far suggest that the patients included are representative of the larger population of patients treated by private practitioners or municipally employed PTs in Norway. This large scale prospective physiotherapy project will provide knowledge about the patient groups, applied treatments and short- and long-term outcome of the patients.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03626389. Registered on August 13th 2018 (retrospectively registered).

Is regular use of physiotherapy treatment associated with health locus of control and self-management competency? A study of patients with musculoskeletal disorders undergoing physiotherapy in primary health care

ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between regular use of physiotherapy treatment, health locus of control and self-management competency in people with musculoskeletal disorders. MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 507 patients between 18 and 70 years of age with musculoskeletal disorders who attended a physiotherapy clinic. The Health Education Impact Questionnaire (heiQ) was used to assess self-management competency; the Health Locus of Control Scale (HLCS) was used to assess health locus of control. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to estimate the relationships between variables. ResultsResults showed that patients who attended physiotherapy on a regular basis had lower levels of internal control than those who did not. Furthermore, regular patients reported more health-directed activities and more emotional distress than patients not attending physiotherapy on a regular basis. Finally, internal health locus of control showed statistically significant associations with all heiQ domains, indicating that a stronger internal control is associated with higher levels of self-management competency. ConclusionOur findings suggest that attending physiotherapy on a regular basis is related to self-management competency and internal health locus of control. Practical implicationsA treatment aim in primary care for people with long term conditions should include development of self-management capacity.

Integrating Physiotherapists into Primary Health Care Organizations: The Physiotherapists' Perspective.

Purpose: This study's purpose was to gain insight into physiotherapists' perspectives on the perceived barriers and facilitators of integrating physiotherapists into primary health care (PHC) teams. Method: A qualitative descriptive approach consisting of semi-structured face-to-face or telephone interviews was used. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and checked by the interviewers to ensure trustworthiness. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's six steps to thematic analysis. Results: Eight participants were interviewed, representing physiotherapists from diverse demographics and geographical regions in Ontario. Common themes discussed were the orientation process, their experiences of integrating the physiotherapist's role into the organization, programme development compared with one-to-one care, the characteristics of the physiotherapist and the interdisciplinary team, and the resources available in the organization. Our key findings of influential factors for integration were (1) the diversity and novelty of new physiotherapists' role, (2) team members' understanding of the physiotherapists' role, and (3) physiotherapists' actions and values regarding PHC. Conclusions: The integration process is affected by factors ranging from individual to system levels. The integration of physiotherapists into PHC would be enhanced by a greater understanding of the role of physiotherapy in PHC by physiotherapists, other health care professionals, and system planners.

Negative perceptions of illness and health are associated with frequent use of physiotherapy in primary healthcare.

There is growing concern that an ageing population and increasing number of patients with chronic illnesses in the future will foster a need for health services beyond the resources available in society. Patients with chronic illnesses are reported to be frequent users of physicians' services in the primary health sector. Therapies for patients with chronic musculoskeletal illnesses are delivered by physiotherapists in this sector. However, we know little about the use of physiotherapy services and the factors that may explain their use. The aim of the present study was to examine the association between the regular/non-regular use of physiotherapy services, impacts of illness, and perceptions of illness and health. A cross-sectional survey included patients between 18 and 70 years of age who visited a physiotherapy outpatient clinic in Oslo during one randomly chosen week. Patient characteristics and use of physiotherapy were mapped. The Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ), a single item of the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) and the Ørebro Musculoskeletal Pain Questionnaire (ØMPQ) were used to assess perceptions of illness and health, and impacts of illness. Data were analysed using independent sample t-tests and logistic regression analysis. A total of 507 patients with a mean age of 46 (standard deviation 12) years participated, of whom 54% were regular users of physiotherapy. BIPQ (p = 0.02; β = 0.03) and the single-item on general health perception (p = 0.001; β = 0.44,) were the only significant variables in the final equation associated with regular use of physiotherapy. About half of the participants were regular, high consumers of physiotherapy, and negative perceptions of illness and health were associated with this regular use.

Ensayo no aleatorizado de una intervención educativa basada en principios cognitivo-conductuales para pacientes con lumbalgia crónica inespecífica atendidos en fisioterapia de atención primaria

ObjectiveTo assess the influence of an educational intervention in reducing «fear-avoidance» (FA) and «pain catastrophising» (CAT) in a population with unspecific chronic low back pain (UCLBP), attending physiotherapy in Primary Health Care. A pragmatic quasi-experimental study was conducted in Health Centres of a Costa del Sol Health District. DesignQuasi-experimental study. SettingPrimary Health Care physiotherapy Back Schools in Health Centres of a Costa del Sol Health District. ParticipantsThe selection criteria were: UCLBP; 18-65years; understanding of the Spanish language; absence of parallel educational interventions; absence of red flags; not showing cognitive impairment or fibromyalgia; absence of thoracic-lumbar surgery, and exercise tolerance. InterventionsThe control group received the usual Back Schools program. The experimental group also received a written document for home reading, plus the subsequent sharing, clarifying doubts, and beliefs and goals restructuring during the development of the sessions. Both interventions lasted about 280minutes (7 sessions×40min). ResultsThe main variables included FA and CAT. Pain and disability were also assessed. Some «demographic» and «related disorder» variables were considered in the analysis.Statistically significant differences were observed in the experimental group versus control, in the variation of FA −14 (−25.5; 0) vs −4 (−13; 0) (P=.009), and CAT −9 (−18; −4) vs −4,5 (−8.25; 0) (P=.000), were observed. Also differences in disability (P=.046), but not in pain (P=.280). ConclusionsThese results should be considered in light of possible limits imposed by the study. Its pragmatic nature would allow a potential transfer to usual care.

Parents' Perceptions of Primary Health Care Physiotherapy With Preterm Infants: Normalization, Clarity, and Trust.

Having a preterm infant is a life-altering event for parents. The use of interventions intended to support the parents is recommended. In this study, we investigated how parents' perceptions of physiotherapy in primary health care influenced their adaptation to caring for a preterm child. We conducted 17 interviews involving parents of seven infants, at infants' corrected age (CA) 3, 6, and 12 months. The analysis was a systematic text condensation, connecting to theory of participatory sense-making. The parents described a progression toward a new normalcy in the setting of persistent uncertainty. Physiotherapists can ameliorate this uncertainty and support the parents' progression toward normalization, by providing knowledge and acknowledging both the child as subject and the parent-child relationship. Via embodied interaction and the exploration of their child's capacity, the parents learn about their children's individuality and gain the confidence necessary to support and care for their children in everyday life.

Psychosocial assessment of non-regular and regular users of physiotherapy in primary health care

Psychosocial assessment of non-regular and regular users of physiotherapy in primary health care

AB1418-PC Impact of the physiotherapy unit in an urban primary care health centre

BackgroundPrimary Care Physiotherapy Units attend patients derived by primary care physicians with the next care circumstances: degenerative osteomuscular disease, specially spinal osteoarthritis; but also pain located in shoulder, knee, hand...

Presión asistencial y demora en las salas de fisioterapia de atención primaria en Andalucía

Introduction The setting up of the ‘Supportive Plan for Andalusian Families’ (Decree 137/2002) has resulted in a very positive reform for the Andalusian Primary Health Care Physiotherapy, even though it has been slow and irregular, with deficient and not very homogeneous resources. Objectives To know the variability for Primary Health Care physiotherapist/inhabitant ratio in all of the Andalusian rooms, to observe its influence on all the available care indicators, and to find the risk factors that may affect the waiting times to initiation of physiotherapy treatment. Material and methods Ecological, descriptive, observational study. Study period: first half of 2008 (January to June). Information source: Information System for Primary Health Care Management. The statistical analysis performed was carried out in accordance with psychometric criteria of numerical scales. Bivariate analysis, linear regression, logistic regression and multivariate analysis were used. Results There is high variability in the Primary Health Care physiotherapist/inhabitant ratio in Andalusian physiotherapy rooms. An equation has been obtained for the calculation of the ‘days of delay probability’ until the initiation of physiotherapy for a normal-referred patient. The research shows how this probability of delay depends mainly on the total population assigned to each Primary Health Care physiotherapist, and on the delay caused by priority-referred patients. Having confirmed the relationship between these variables, increasing the human resources in those rooms with higher ratios seems to be an advisable and high priority action.

Evaluación y mejora del protocolo de atención al paciente con afección lumbar en una unidad de fisioterapia de atención primaria

ObjectivesTo assess the quality of physiotherapeutic care in patients treated for low back pain in a Primary Health Care physiotherapy unit, and to improve the quality of the care provided to these patients. Patients and methodThe first assessment includes all patients treated in 2002 (n=83). Five criteria corresponding to the initial physiotherapeutic assessment were chosen: C1, pain; C2, disability; C3, mobility, muscle examination, and C5, palpation. In order to detect non-compliance, the Ishikawa Fishbone diagram was used. Corrective measures were established in November 2003: publication of an Oswestry questionnaire model for assessing disability and reflecting on the results obtained. The second assessment includes the period of time from 1st November 2003 to 6th April 2004 (n=32). ResultsIn the initial assessment, compliances observed were: C1: 21.69%; C2: 0; C3: 69.87%; C4: 78.31%, and C5: 84.33%. After implementing corrective measures a significant improvement was observed in the compliance of C1, C2, and C3. In C4 there was an improvement, and in C5 there was a decrease in compliance, both of them without statistical significance. ConclusionsThe carrying out of an improvement cycle has enabled non-compliances in the application of this protocol to be detected and corrected. The corrective measures implemented have led to a reduction of the variability in the records. It is advisable to ensure that compliance does not decrease in the areas that initially showed a high level of compliance.