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Weekend physiotherapy practice in community hospitals in Canada.
C Andrea Ottensmeyer1, Sanmeet Chattha, Shemayi Jayawardena
1Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto.
Physiotherapy Canada. Physiotherapie Canada
|March 2, 2013
Summary
Weekend physiotherapy services are available in 69% of Canadian acute-care hospitals, but access varies significantly by region. Further research is needed to understand the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of these essential services.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Canadian Healthcare System Analysis
Background:
- Access to physiotherapy services on weekends is crucial for patient recovery in acute-care settings.
- Understanding the current provision of weekend physiotherapy across Canada is essential for identifying service gaps.
- Regional disparities in healthcare services can impact patient outcomes and access to care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the availability and characteristics of weekend physiotherapy services in Canadian acute-care community hospitals.
- To identify factors influencing the provision of weekend physiotherapy.
- To assess the availability of other rehabilitation professionals during weekends.
Main Methods:
- A national survey was conducted via mailed questionnaires to 146 acute-care community hospitals in Canada.
- Data collected included referral criteria, staffing, workload, compensation for weekend physiotherapy, and availability of other rehabilitation professionals.
- Response rate was 71% (104 hospitals), with data analyzed using logistic regression and Kruskal-Wallis tests.
Main Results:
- Weekend physiotherapy was offered in 69% of responding hospitals, with significant regional variation (e.g., 30% in Quebec vs. ≥75% elsewhere).
- Hospitals with a higher proportion of acute-care beds were more likely to offer weekend services (p=0.021).
- Staffing and service delivery differed between Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. 53% of hospitals not offering services cited staffing and financial barriers.
Conclusions:
- There are substantial regional variations in access to weekend physiotherapy services within Canadian acute-care community hospitals.
- Further research into the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of weekend physiotherapy is recommended to address these disparities.
- Limited availability of other weekend rehabilitation services (social work 24%, occupational therapy 16%) was also noted.
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