Irish journal of medical science · 2026
Evaluation of a clinical specialist physiotherapy service working in advanced practice in an emergency department setting.
СтатьяНазвание и аннотация: Перевод пока не подготовлен
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Willgress Sophia, McCarthy Enda, duPisane Louiso, Barker Elaine, McCabe Aileen
Аннотация
BACKGROUND: Clinical Specialist Physiotherapists (CSPs) with an advanced scope of practice have been introduced internationally to Emergency Departments (EDs).
AIMS: To evaluate the activity, patient characteristics, clinical outcomes and emergency department process measures associated with an Irish ED CSP with an advanced scope of practice service.
METHODS: A retrospective service evaluation was undertaken of all patients managed by the ED CSP with an advanced scope of practice between 1 April 2023 and 31 August 2024 and 1 March 2025 and 15 March 2026. Demographic, clinical and operational data were extracted from the ED information system.
RESULTS: 1,633 ED patients were managed by the CSP with an advanced scope of practice. The mean patient age was 43.6 (SD 16.2) years and 54.2% were male. Back pain (46.6%) and limb problems (42.3%) were the most common presenting complaints. Soft tissue injury (61.5%) and back pain (23.1%) were the commonest discharge diagnoses. Most patients were discharged with physiotherapy follow-up (58.6%) while only 60 patients (3.7%) required hospital admission. Fourteen admitted patients underwent urgent discectomy and decompression, and one case of cauda equina syndrome was identified. Mean ED length of stay was significantly shorter for CSP-managed patients than for the overall ED population (312.1 vs. 664.5 min, p < 0.05). Hospital admission rates were also significantly lower (3.7% vs. 28.5%, p < 0.05).
CONCLUSION: An ED CSP service was associated with reduced length of stay, low admission rates and appropriate identification of serious pathology, supporting the expansion of advanced physiotherapy roles within Irish emergency care.
AIMS: To evaluate the activity, patient characteristics, clinical outcomes and emergency department process measures associated with an Irish ED CSP with an advanced scope of practice service.
METHODS: A retrospective service evaluation was undertaken of all patients managed by the ED CSP with an advanced scope of practice between 1 April 2023 and 31 August 2024 and 1 March 2025 and 15 March 2026. Demographic, clinical and operational data were extracted from the ED information system.
RESULTS: 1,633 ED patients were managed by the CSP with an advanced scope of practice. The mean patient age was 43.6 (SD 16.2) years and 54.2% were male. Back pain (46.6%) and limb problems (42.3%) were the most common presenting complaints. Soft tissue injury (61.5%) and back pain (23.1%) were the commonest discharge diagnoses. Most patients were discharged with physiotherapy follow-up (58.6%) while only 60 patients (3.7%) required hospital admission. Fourteen admitted patients underwent urgent discectomy and decompression, and one case of cauda equina syndrome was identified. Mean ED length of stay was significantly shorter for CSP-managed patients than for the overall ED population (312.1 vs. 664.5 min, p < 0.05). Hospital admission rates were also significantly lower (3.7% vs. 28.5%, p < 0.05).
CONCLUSION: An ED CSP service was associated with reduced length of stay, low admission rates and appropriate identification of serious pathology, supporting the expansion of advanced physiotherapy roles within Irish emergency care.