Article

PURPOSE: To identify physiotherapists' familiarity with and experience using
outcome measures (OMs) along the care continuum for patients undergoing total
joint arthroplasty (TJA) of the hip and knee. Views on future use and barriers
were also captured. METHODS: A stratified random sample of physiotherapists in
one Canadian province completed a questionnaire about 19 standardized and
clinically feasible OMs. Analyses included descriptive statistics and chi-square
and McNemar tests to compare use of OMs for clinical decision making and program
evaluation. RESULTS: Of 694 physiotherapists surveyed, 298 (43%) responded. Of
these, 172 (58%) treated TJA clients and completed the full questionnaire. A
majority worked in public practice settings and >1 care phase (e.g., pre-op,
acute, rehab). All physiotherapists reported using >/=1 OM and having greater
experience using performance-based measures than patient-reported OMs. OMs were
used more often for clinical decision making than for program evaluation.
Dissatisfaction with available tools was evident from respondents' comments.
Several barriers to using OMs were identified in varied clinical settings and
care phases. CONCLUSIONS: While physiotherapists use a variety of OMs along the
TJA continuum, there remain challenges to routine use across clinical settings,
care phases, and patient sub-groups.

Langue : ANGLAIS