One-on-one Appointment with PT Improves Satisfaction
Physical Therapy clinicians are not only therapists, they are educators. A big part of being a physical therapist is answering patient’s questions and educating them on anatomy, the proper way to perform an exercise, how to walk and transfer safely, and what to expect going into surgery.
One-on-one educational session with a physical therapist
A recent study looked at the benefit of having a one-on-one educational session with a physical therapist prior to having a total joint replacement surgery. A researcher split 126 patients into two groups: one group had a group class prior to having surgery, the second group had an additional one-on-one session with a physical therapist. “Significantly more patients who attended the extra one-on-one counseling session with the physical therapist before surgery indicated that they were better prepared to leave the hospital after surgery and were, overall, more satisfied with the preoperative education they received,” Dr. Joshi stated.
Additionally, the patients who received the one-on-one session had required fewer PT sessions in the hospital and met discharge criteria (walking up/down stairs and transferring out of bed) faster.
What this indicates is that patients benefit from a one-on-one educational session with a physical therapist prior to joint replacement.
Improve overall satisfaction
Patients, therefore, may consider having a pre-surgical appointment with a physical therapist to improve their overall satisfaction and outcomes following a total joint replacement