If you suspect patients who have undergone orthopedics and other procedures at your facility aren’t doing their postoperative physical therapy (PT) homework as much as they should be, a new survey by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center not only will confirm those suspicions but will put an eye-popping number in front of you.
According to Ohio State’s web and telephone survey of 1,006 patients in September, 76% admitted they didn’t complete their assigned at-home PT sessions, “leading to stalled recoveries and potential surgical setbacks.”
Drilling down on the numbers, the survey found that 24% completed all of their assigned homework, while 28% completed 75% to 99% of their sessions, 27% completed 50% to 74%, 11% completed 25% to 49%, and 8% completed 1% to 25%. Fortunately, only 2% said they didn’t complete any of their at-home PT.
Why are so many patients not completing all of their assigned post-op PT? Survey respondents had reasons … many reasons.
The survey also showed that adults 65 and older are more likely (30%) than those under 30 (12%) to complete all of their at-home assigned PT exercises. The 65-and-older group was also much less likely (5%) than the 30-and-under group (15%) to complete only 1% to 25% of their at-home sessions.
So, how can you tackle this problem? Ohio State Medical Center physical therapist Kyle Smith, PT, said he and his team work with patients to advance or adjust their at-home PT assignments based on feedback or any barriers the patient is facing. For example, he suggests simple changes that patients can make to their daily routines, like parking farther away at work or the grocery store, balancing on one leg while brushing their teeth, or doing stretches or squats while watching TV shows.
“As physical therapists, we need to educate patients that it is going to take some work on their end to reach the goals they have to ultimately build strength and mobility and decrease the body's pain sensitivity,” said Mr. Smith.
