Effect of an increase in numbers of physical therapists on dynamic situation of inpatients in an acute hospital

Abstract

To determine the effects of an increase of four physical therapists in an acute hospital, we compared the number and outcomes of inpatients for whom rehabilitation doctors newly prescribed physical therapy between two periods (from October 1, 2008 to September 30, 2009 and from October 1, 2009 to September 30, 2010). The number of new inpatients and the total number of inpatients who underwent physical therapy significantly increased by 317 and 4,536, respectively (Wilcoxon test, P < 0.05), and the total number of inpatients who performed training in their own room in a ward also significantly increased by 3,341 (Wilcoxon test, P < 0.05). The mean length of hospital stay of the inpatients who were transferred to other hospitals decreased by 5.9 days after the increase in the staff (Mest, P < 0.05). These changes suggest that the increase in the physical therapists contributed to the increases of the new inpatients and total number of inpatients who underwent rehabilitation, and possibly to the decrease in the length of hospital stay for the transferred inpatients by effectively providing a sufficient amount of physical therapy.