Article

Physical therapy has an important role in hip fracture rehabilitation
to address issues of mobility and function, yet current best practice guidelines
fail to make recommendations for specific physical therapy interventions beyond
the first 24 hours postsurgery. The aims of this study were : (1) to gain an understanding of current physical therapist practice in an Australian
acute care setting and (2) to determine what physical therapists consider to be
best practice physical therapist management and their rationale for their
assessment and treatment techniques. DESIGN AND METHODS: Three focus group
interviews were conducted with physical therapists and physical therapist
students, as well as a retrospective case note audit of 51 patients who had
undergone surgery for hip fracture. RESULTS: Beyond early mobilization and a
thorough day 1 postoperative assessment, great variability in what was considered
to be best practice management was displayed. Senior physical therapists
considered previous clinical experience to be more important than available
research evidence, and junior physical therapists modeled their behavior on that
of senior physical therapists. The amount of therapy provided to patients during
their acute inpatient stay varied considerably, and none of the patients audited
were seen on every day of their admission. CONCLUSIONS: Current physical
therapist management in the acute setting for patients following hip fracture
varies and is driven by system pressures as opposed to evidence-based practice.

Langue : ANGLAIS