Current status and future development of acute and cardiac physiotherapies in Japan

Abstract

In recent years, the importance of early physiotherapy for rapid mental and physical functional recovery is increasing with the increasing number of older patients and high-risk patients with duplicate disorders. Increasing the effectiveness of acute physiotherapy within a shorter hospital stay is a great challenge. We published the first expert consensus of early rehabilitation in Asia in 2017. Our expert consensus will contribute to the establishment of physiotherapy in intensive care for Asian populations. The minimum standard of clinical practice for physiotherapists working in critical care settings is important to showcase physiotherapists' knowledge and abilities as medical professionals working in the intensive care unit. We are planning to release the minimum standard of clinical practice for Japanese physiotherapists working in critical care settings in 2020. Being in the forefront among nations of aging populations, Japan has a rapidly increasing number of older frail patients with heart failure. Further studies are necessary to confirm the effectiveness of task-specific exercise training considering the characteristics of frailty.