Phenotyping palliative care patients most likely to benefit from physiotherapy
Phenotyping palliative care patients most likely to benefit from physiotherapy
A NEMICS service improvement grant supported a project at Austin Health to identify which palliative care patients are most likely to benefit from physiotherapy.
Impact
This project concludes that the subgroup of patients admitted to the inpatient Palliative Care Unit at Austin who received physiotherapy management had a slower and lower mortality rate. This more homogeneous population warrants further investigation to improve the delivery of multidisciplinary care to maximise time patients spend at home with family and loved ones.
Outcome
The project findings have provided reassurance to the multidisciplinary team that referral to physiotherapy appears to capture the “right people” at the “right time” for optimal benefit to patients admitted to the Palliative Care Unit and their families.
The major output of this project has been the production of an extensive databases and data analysis to enable the physiotherapy department to inform future service improvement. This includes the development of an education model for junior physiotherapists to build capability to futureproof the service against personnel changes.
Contact
Ms Andrea Morrison, andrea.morrison@austin.org.au
