Research Activities, January 2012: Agency News and Notes: Potential role of physical therapy in ICU patients

Research Activities, January 2012: Agency News and Notes: Potential role of physical therapy in ICU patients

Potential role of physical therapy in ICU patients

A recent issue of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Web M&M (http://www.webmm.ahrq.gov/home.aspx) examines the risks of immobility associated with an intensive care unit (ICU) stay and the criteria that can indicate if a patient is a good candidate for physical therapy. The Spotlight Case involves a man with a prolonged ICU visit for injuries that included a dislocated shoulder. The physical therapist consulted after the patient's release from the ICU felt that the limitations due to the shoulder injury could have been mitigated with earlier physical therapy interventions in the ICU. A commentary on the case, including criteria to inform decisionmaking, is provided by Jim Smith, an associate professor of physical therapy at Utica College, NY.

The Perspectives on Safety section features an interview with Paul G. Shekelle, M.D., Ph.D., who directs the Southern California Evidence-based Practice Center at Rand Corporation.  Dr. Shekelle led an AHRQ-funded effort to better define the role of context in patient safety.  In the accompanying Perspective, John Øvretveit, Ph.D., professor of health improvement, implementation, and evaluation at The Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, discusses how social sciences can help us understand influences that affect patient safety.