Document Type

Thesis - NSU Access Only

Title

Time Utilization by Physical Therapists During Patient Treatment Sessions

Authors

Monica De Vega, Nova Southeastern University

Degree Name

Master of Physical Therapy (MPT)

Copyright Statement

All rights reserved. This publication is intended for use solely by faculty, students, and staff of Nova Southeastern University. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, now known or later developed, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author or the publisher.

Department

College of Health Care Sciences - Physical Therapy Department

Publication Date / Copyright Date

1998

Publisher

Nova Southeastern University

NSUWorks Citation

Monica De Vega. 1998. Time Utilization by Physical Therapists During Patient Treatment Sessions. Master's thesis. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, College of Health Care Sciences - Physical Therapy Department. (108)
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/hpd_pt_stuetd/108.

Abstract

Purpose: Establish a profile of the amount of time spent by physical therapists performing various activities during a patient treatment session in an outpatient rehabilitation facility.

Guiding Questions: How much time do physical therapists spend in direct contact with their patient? Which activities performed by therapists take up a significant amount of the therapist's time during a session? How much time does a therapist spend performing these activities? Is there a difference between therapists in the amount of time spent performing these activities?

Method: Two physical therapists from one outpatient facility chosen at random for observation.

Data analysis: The t-test, mean time, standard deviation, and percentage of time were calculated.

Results: Therapists spent 20% of the time in direct patient contact. Significant activities performed by the therapists were interaction with the observed patient, and interaction with other patients during the session. 47% of activities performed were not directly related to the observed patient. Significant differences were found in the amount of time spent by therapists performing the activities observed.

Conclusion: Many variables influence the amounts of time physical therapists spend with their patients. Results of a study such as this can be utilized by administrators as a management tool for detecting and correcting possible time utilization problems of their physical therapists.

Disciplines

Physical Therapy