Physical therapy
-
Therapists frequently advise the use of activity pacing as a coping strategy to manage long-term conditions (eg, chronic low back pain, chronic widespread pain, chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis). However, activity pacing has not been clearly operationalized, and there is a paucity of empirical evidence regarding pacing. This paucity of evidence may be partly due to the absence of a widely used pacing scale. To address the limitations of existing pacing scales, the 38-item Activity Pacing Questionnaire (APQ-38) was previously developed using the Delphi technique. ⋯ Developed to be widely used across a heterogeneous group of patients with chronic pain or fatigue, the APQ-26 is multifaceted and demonstrates reliability and validity. Further study will explore the effects of pacing on patients' symptoms to guide therapists toward advising pacing themes with empirical benefits.
-
Observational Study
Physical Therapists as Primary Practitioners in the Emergency Department: Six-Month Prospective Practice Analysis.
Increasing pressure on the emergency department (ED) throughout the world has meant the introduction of innovative ways of working. One such innovation is the advanced practice physical therapist (APP) acting as a primary contact practitioner. There has been little research into the role beyond identifying patient satisfaction with management, cost-effectiveness, and time efficiency. In order to give further support and assist in development of an APP service in the ED, an increased exploration of patient caseload demographics, resource utilization, and management outcomes is needed. ⋯ This study described in detail the caseload managed by the APP in the ED and identified the role as a valuable asset to an ED, managing a great deal of their caseload independently, safely, and time efficiently.
-
Observational Study
Discordance Between Distance Ambulated as Part of Usual Care and Functional Exercise Capacity in Survivors of Critical Illness Upon Intensive Care Discharge: Observational Study.
People who have had a prolonged admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) commonly have profound debilitation and weakness. For the delivery of effective exercise training, an accurate assessment of exercise capacity is essential. ⋯ Most participants ambulated at a low percentage of their measured exercise capacity. The 6MWT appears to be a safe and useful test for inpatients recently discharged from the ICU.