Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2025
Assessment of Dependence in Activities of Daily Living Among Older Patients in an Acute Care Unit
Published on: September 30, 2020
Written Mobility Communication in Acute Care Medical Wards: An Observational Study of Physical Therapists' and
Emily Harvey1,2, Julie Adsett3,4, Alison Mudge4
1Physiotherapy Department, Caboolture Hospital, Caboolture, Queensland, Australia.
Objective:
Low inpatient mobility is associated with poor hospital outcomes. Poor communication between clinicians has been identified as a barrier to improving mobility. Understanding how mobility is communicated within the multidisciplinary team may help inform strategies to improve inpatient mobility. The aim of this study was to describe written mobility communication by physical therapists and nurses in acute care medical wards.
Methods:
This cross-sectional observational study was conducted across 4 hospitals in an Australian health service. A survey of physical therapists and nurses identified preferred sources and content of written mobility communication. An audit described and compared written mobility communication in the most strongly preferred documentation sources. Findings were described and compared graphically between discipline and site.
Results:
Questionnaires were completed by 85 physical therapists and 150 nurses. Twenty-two sources of documentation about mobility were identified. Preferences for sources and content varied between disciplines. Physical therapists nominated several preferred information sources and sought and documented broader mobility content. Nurses often sought nursing documents that focused on current mobility assistance and aids, with limited communication of mobility level or mobility goals. Audits of 104 patient records found that content varied between sources and sites, and content was variably missing or inconsistent between sources.
Conclusion:
Written mobility communication focused on mobility assistance and aids, rather than mobility levels or mobility goals, with poor completion and inconsistency within documentation. More complete and consistent documentation might improve progressive mobilization of hospital inpatients.
Impact:
Physical therapists and nurses seek and document different content in a wide range of locations, leading to incomplete and inconsistent written documentation. Understanding and resolving these practice differences offers potential to improve mobility communication and practice.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Documentation in Long-Term and Home Healthcare Setting
Long-Term Care Facilities
01:08Role of Communication in the Nursing Process III: Evaluation and Documentation
01:30Guidelines for Nursing Documentation I
Factual:
The following points emphasize the significance of upholding accurate and unbiased documentation in healthcare.
01:26Guidelines for Nursing Documentation II
Timely documentation is crucial to ensure continuity of care for patients. Any delays in recording or reporting medical information can result in medical errors and even adverse patient outcomes. From medication administration to diagnostic test results, every detail must be accurately and promptly documented to provide the best possible care for patients.
01:20Introduction to Documentation and Reporting
Nursing documentation records essential information and details regarding a patient's care and treatment in written or electronic form. It is a critical aspect of nursing practice that involves documenting assessments, interventions, outcomes, and other relevant details about a patient's health status.
Documentation maps the patient's health journey by creating a comprehensive...
01:15Methods of Documentation VI: Case Management Model
For example, a patient with a chronic...