Abstract
[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to survey risk management implementation in the physical therapy departments of hospitals treating acute stage patients. [Subjects and Method] Two hundred forty-seven facilities were selected from the 8,818 facilities registered on the Welfare Medical Information Network, and a questionnaire regarding the risk management procedures was sent to each facility. [Results] One hundred forty-seven questionnaires were returned, with a response rate of 59.9%. The facilities employed on average 11.3 physical therapists. In physical therapy departments of the hospitals ranging from 40 to 1,505 beds with on average 24 medical specialties, the standard emergency equipment provided included electrocardiograms, a pulse oximeter, a manually-operated respirator and suction equipment. Facilities that had placed a manually-operated respirator in physical therapy departments increased from 6 (5.4%) in 2006 to 37 (25.0%) in 2009 (p<0.01). Also, facilities that prepared risk check-sheets and criteria for discontinuation of physical therapy had increased from 21 (18.8%) to 60 (40.5%) (p<0.01), and from 60 (40.5%) to 102 (68.9%) (p<0.01), respectively, from 2006 to 2009. [Conclusion] Physical therapy can affect the prognosis of a patient in acute care hospitals. Therefore, rigorous risk management is warranted in physical therapy departments in acute care hospitals.
