Work sampling: a means of determining physiotherapy activities and reviewing caseloads

Work sampling is a tool used to examine the activities involved in performing a job. A work sampling study was designed to examine the components of physiotherapy care in a 350-bed teaching hospital. The components were related to a physiotherapist's activities and included an examination of the time related to patient treatment, attendance at meetings, record-keeping and preparation, travel, teaching, continuing education (in-service), talking to colleagues (doctors, occupational therapists), and other activities. The purpose of the study was to quantify a therapist's nontreatment activities, and to compare observations concerning treatment with the work sampling data obtained in compliance with the Canadian Schedule of Unit Values and, in particular, its weighted units. The study showed that there was no difference between the "observed" time (sampling time in percentage of total time) spent in direct patient contact, and the weighted units, when the latter was converted to a percentage of time. The Nova Scotia government's standard of 50 000 work units per year was found to be useful in justifying staffing levels; a useful indicator of productivity was also developed using weighted units expressed as a percentage of worked or paid hours. Work sampling would thus appear to be a useful tool for physiotherapy department managers.