2018 Research Forum

METHOD Data collected April/May 2017 in the Medical-Surgical and Telemetry units at Kern Medical for Physical Therapy Consult requests RESULTS Based on history of falls, diagnosis, medication, and orientation: 50% of the sample would qualify for PT consults, however, only 10% of those patients had physical therapy evaluations. Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina implemented a process resulting in greater communication between nursing and PT which led to routine mobility, balance and strengthening exercises and a 27% reduction in falls, and a 59% reduction in falls with injury (Health Research and Educational Trust, 2016). DISCUSSION At the time this study of utilization of Physical Therapy consultation for Med-Surg patients, was low; however, several suggestions to alter the referral pattern emerged: standardized valid and reliable screening tool utilized for every inpatient, nursing staff training for fall assessment and prevention, implementing fall risk during nursing handoff bedside communication, hourly rounding with scheduled/ supervised toileting and continuous observation for cognitively impaired or high risk patients. CONCLUSIONS Almost all Med/Surg and Telemetry patients fall under moderate to severe fall risk. The group concluded that more study is needed to create evidence based protocol for early mobilization and physical therapy consults.

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