Benefits of physical therapy in institutionalized patients

Does extra physical therapy reduce length of stay and improve patient outcomes in people with various conditions.

Researchers at La Trobe University, in Victoria, Australia reviewed the evidence?

First, the details.

• Searching identified 2826 potentially relevant articles, of which 16 studies with 1699 participants met the inclusion criteria and were used for a meta-analysis.

And, the results.

• Compared with standard physical therapy, extra physical therapy reduced length of stay in acute settings and improved mobility, activity, and quality of life significantly.
• There were no significant changes in self-care.

The bottom line?

The researchers would like to see more research to confirm their findings.

9/4/11 17:59 JR