Acceptability of Physiotherapists in the Emergency Department for the Care of Adults With Musculoskeletal Disorders

Abstract

Purpose: Over the past decades, pressure on emergency departments (EDs) has been increasing. New ED models of care including physiotherapists in more autonomous roles, often called advanced practice physiotherapy (APP) care, are emerging to improve access to care, especially for patients with musculoskeletal disorders (MSKDs). As such, the purpose of this study was to assess patient' acceptability of APP ED care for patients with MSKDs. Methods: Patients consulting for an MSKD were recruited in 1 Canadian ED and completed a 13-question survey assessing their acceptability of ED APP care. Descriptive analyses as well as χ2 and Fisher's exact tests, with associated 95% confidence interval, were performed. Results: Forty-one patients completed the survey. A majority of respondents (56%) trusted APPs to provide accurate diagnoses for MSKD in the ED, and 80.5% were confident they would provide safe care. Most participants felt confident that APPs would appropriately order medical imaging tests (73%) or prescribe medication (66%) when necessary. Sixty-six percent of participants agreed that seeing only a physiotherapist without the intervention of a physician would reduce their length of ED stay. Conclusions: Within this exploratory survey, participants were favorable to ED APP for the care of MSKD, suggesting that implementation of such models would be accepted by patients with MSKD presenting to an ED.