» Articles » PMID: 26089040

Emerging Role of Quality Indicators in Physical Therapist Practice and Health Service Delivery

Overview
Journal Phys Ther
Date 2015 Jun 20
PMID 26089040
Citations 20
Authors
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

Quality-based care is a hallmark of physical therapy. Treatment effectiveness must be evident to patients, managers, employers, and funders. Quality indicators (QIs) are tools that specify the minimum acceptable standard of practice. They are used to measure health care processes, organizational structures, and outcomes that relate to aspects of high-quality care of patients. Physical therapists can use QIs to guide clinical decision making, implement guideline recommendations, and evaluate and report treatment effectiveness to key stakeholders, including third-party payers and patients. Rehabilitation managers and senior decision makers can use QIs to assess care gaps and achievement of benchmarks as well as to guide quality improvement initiatives and strategic planning. This article introduces the value and use of QIs to guide clinical practice and health service delivery specific to physical therapy. A framework to develop, select, report, and implement QIs is outlined, with total joint arthroplasty rehabilitation as an example. Current initiatives of Canadian and American physical therapy associations to develop tools to help clinicians report and access point-of-care data on patient progress, treatment effectiveness, and practice strengths for the purpose of demonstrating the value of physical therapy to patients, decision makers, and payers are discussed. Suggestions on how physical therapists can participate in QI initiatives and integrate a quality-of-care approach in clinical practice are made.

Citing Articles

Quality indicators for the rehabilitation before and after total knee arthroplasty in Japan: a modified Delphi method and practice test.

Hiyama Y, Taniguchi M, Ohtera S, Wada O, Tanaka S, Kako M Arthroplasty. 2025; 7(1):11.

PMID: 40045402 PMC: 11884041. DOI: 10.1186/s42836-024-00297-5.


Improving quality of care in traumatic spinal column/spinal cord injuries (TSC/SCI) in Iran: a policy brief.

Sadeghi-Naini M, Kankam S, Zeinaddini-Meymand A, Ghodsi Z, Baigi V, Jazayeri S Spinal Cord Ser Cases. 2024; 10(1):82.

PMID: 39725766 PMC: 11671535. DOI: 10.1038/s41394-024-00694-7.


A consensus-based agreement on a definition of a process variable: findings from a New Zealand nominal group technique study.

Harvey D, White S, Reid D, Cook C BMC Health Serv Res. 2024; 24(1):1416.

PMID: 39548503 PMC: 11568557. DOI: 10.1186/s12913-024-11909-w.


Sensor-Acquired Reachable Workspace (RWS) Correlates with Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Function in Stroke as Measured by Functional Independence Measure (FIM) Self-Care.

Chan V, Lee S, Lee J, Han J Sensors (Basel). 2024; 24(21).

PMID: 39517683 PMC: 11548413. DOI: 10.3390/s24216786.


A framework to improve quality of hospital-based physiotherapy: a design-based research study.

Steenbruggen R, Maas M, Hoogeboom T, Brand P, van der Wees P BMC Health Serv Res. 2023; 23(1):34.

PMID: 36641465 PMC: 9840522. DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-09062-x.


References
1.
Ganz D, Chang J, Roth C, Guan M, Kamberg C, Niu F . Quality of osteoarthritis care for community-dwelling older adults. Arthritis Rheum. 2006; 55(2):241-7. DOI: 10.1002/art.21844. View

2.
Gill S, McBurney H . Does exercise reduce pain and improve physical function before hip or knee replacement surgery? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2012; 94(1):164-76. DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2012.08.211. View

3.
Tian W, DeJong G, Brown M, Hsieh C, Zamfirov Z, Horn S . Looking upstream: factors shaping the demand for postacute joint replacement rehabilitation. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2009; 90(8):1260-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2008.10.035. View

4.
Pencharz J, Maclean C . Measuring quality in arthritis care: the Arthritis Foundation's Quality Indicator set for osteoarthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 2004; 51(4):538-48. DOI: 10.1002/art.20521. View

5.
Westby M, Backman C . Patient and health professional views on rehabilitation practices and outcomes following total hip and knee arthroplasty for osteoarthritis:a focus group study. BMC Health Serv Res. 2010; 10:119. PMC: 2887446. DOI: 10.1186/1472-6963-10-119. View