Innovations

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Innovations - quality assured physiotherapy initiatives

Our quality assured examples of successful initiatives aim to promote physiotherapy as an innovative and cost effective approach to improving patient pathways and promoting public health. We welcome examples and case studies from all aspects of physiotherapy practice, research, education, and service delivery.

You can either filter the innovations by 'Region' or 'Type' or use the keyword search above to find specific words or phrases. 

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Physiotherapy use of thoracic ultrasound

The use of diagnostic thoracic ultrasound (TUS) by physiotherapists to examine the pleura, lung parenchyma and diaphragm is gaining in popularity. In the medical profession it has been shown to have efficacy in the diagnosis of pulmonary conditions such as pneumonia, pleural effusions and diaphragm dysfunction. It is unclear how effective TUS is in the hands of a physiotherapist. The aim of this scoping review is to explore the emerging evidence surrounding physiotherapy use of TUS to inform research and clinical practice.  

Community Respiratory Team

To demonstrate how a specialist respiratory physiotherapy service placed in the community can prevent unnecessary hospital admissions in patients with COPD.

Grampian Home Oxygen Service

This project is an example of multiprofessional working that provides a safe service for patients whilst making cost savings. 

The new service was established in 2011 to manage Home Oxygen across Grampian. The multi-professional team provides all home oxygen (except for paediatric and cluster headache) based on a clinical need and risk management approach, and liaises with secondary and primary care. The revised service has demonstrated monthly cost improvements of £15 – 20k per month.

A web based prescribing system has been introduced this year by the contractor which offers easy access to updated information relating to individual patients use of oxygen.

Development of Botulinum Toxin-A service in Fife, Scotland

I wanted to highlight the cost savings gained following a review and change of service delivery to children with focal spasticity in a district general hospital.  The purpose of the review and change was to improve the service we provided to children and their families in terms of timeliness on intervention, proximity to home and follow-up with known clinicians. 

Although the data is from 2014, we continue to inject less that 10% of our children under a general anaesthetic compared to 78% in 2009.

This service is led and delivered by a physiotherapist working in an extended role – initially Clinical Specialist, now Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioner with support from Orthopaedic and Neurology consultants.