ACTRN12613000246785.

AbstractObjectivesThere are growing evidence that exercise improves sacroiliac dysfunction symptoms in pregnant women; but no data about the effect of expert advice regarding this matter. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of expert advice about therapeutic exercise on sacroiliac dysfunction in pregnancy.MethodsA total of 500 women with sacroiliac dysfunction diagnosed in pregnancy were randomized in study and control group. Study group has conducted expert advice on therapeutic exercise; while control group continued with their normal lifestyle. Pain intensity by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and degree of functional disability by Quebec scale were assessed at enrolment and after 3 and 6 weeks.ResultsSignificantly better reduction in pain intensity assessed by VAS (p=0.001) and degree of functional disability assessed by Quebec scale (p=0.001) was noted in study compared to control group. Better results for both outcome measures were obtained if intervention was implemented earlier i.e., in second (p=0.001; p=0.001) compared to third (p=0.005; p=0.001) trimester. Strong positive correlation was found between pain intensity and degree of functional disability in both groups.ConclusionsExpert advice on therapeutic exercise is effective in reduction of sacroiliac dysfunction symptoms during pregnancy.Trial registrationACTRN12617000556347

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BackgroundElectronic health record can facilitate everyday clinical practice of physiotherapists. The aim of this study is to determine attitude of physiotherapists towards implementation of information technology in their work and the differences in attitude in relation to gender, age, level of education and type of health institutions.MethodsThis study is a cross-sectional survey of Croatian physiotherapists. The questionnaire ″Attitude of physiotherapists towards implementation of electronic health record included 12 items scored on a Likert-type scale from 1 to 5 and presented the award values as “Disagree”, “Neither agree nor disagree” and “Agree”. Croatian physiotherapists were (n = 267) recruited from 13 health care institutions. For analysis chi square test, t-test, one-way analysis of variance and as a post-hoc Tukey test were used.ResultsExplanatory factorial analysis confirmed two factors: Satisfaction in the work of physiotherapists using computers (SAT) and Necessity of computers in the work of physiotherapists (NEC). Most physiotherapists agree on (SAT) (47.9%) and on (NEC) (51.3%). Male physiotherapists were significantly more likely to disagree with statements related to SAT (p < 0.001) and NEC (p = 0.035) than female physiotherapists. Physiotherapists aged between 46 and 55 years were significantly more like to disagree on NEC in comparison to all the other groups of participants (p < 0.001). Physiotherapists with secondary school degree were significantly more like to disagree on NEC as compared with participants with bachelor’s degree (p = 0.009), as well as in comparison with physiotherapists with a university degree (p = 0.002). Most of the physiotherapists who are employed in Clinical hospitals and in the Speciality hospital agree with that statement (all p > 0.05).ConclusionThe attitude of Croatian physiotherapists towards electronic health record differs according to the age, gender, level of education and type of health care institutions. This finding can facilitate implementation of electronic health record in physiotherapy.Trial registrationNot applicable.

Objective: This narrative review is presenting the impact of exercise on pregnant women and fetus and provides current recommendations for exercise in pregnancy. Mechanism: Exercise during pregnancy has a numerous effects on both pregnant woman and her fetus. When recommending exercise during pregnancy, it is necessary to keep in mind the physiological responses of the body's systems during exercise, changes occuring in pregnancy and the influence of this changes on pregnant woman's body as well as on the fetus and fetal responses to exercise during pregnancy. The type, intensity, duration, and frequency of exercise should be adjusted to the level of physical activity of pregnant women and period of pregnancy in order to achieve clinically significant health benefits. Findings in Brief: Exercise in pregnancy is beneficial for both the mother and her fetus and contributes to the prevention of pregnancy-related disorders. It is recommend to exercise 30 minutes daily five days a week with a tendency to increase the exercise each day in order to accumulate 150 to 300 minutes of exercise per week with moderate intensity. Conclusions: Regular exercise leads to specific adaptation processes of the body systems improving the physical and mental health of pregnant women with positive effect on her fetus.