Table 2.
Description of Participating Sites and Characteristics of Cardiorespiratory PWS
| Hospital 1 | Hospital 2 | Hospital 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total number of beds | 890 | 1275 | 462 |
| Number of FTEs available to provide weekday services across the hospital | 40.3 | 69 | 27 (in-patient services) 6 (outpatient services) |
| Number of FTEs available to provide weekday services in clinical service areas included in this study | 33 | 29.4 | 22 |
| Management structure | Centralized PT department | Programme-based management | Programme-based management with centralized PT weekend service |
| Clinical areas included in this study (i.e., those that provide PWS to patients with cardiorespiratory conditions) (n=number of beds in the clinical area) |
General medicine and surgical wards (n=211) All ICUs (n=90) |
General medicine (n=117) | Cardiorespiratory wards including cardiovascular surgery, vascular surgery, cardiology, nephrology, neuro/trauma, general surgery (n=184) |
| Cardiology (n=59) Cardiovascular surgery (n=52) |
Cardiovascular ICU, cardiology wards, coronary care unit, and cardiovascular surgery (n=85) | Critical care (n=64) | |
| ENT (n=23) Transplant and thoracic wards (n=81) |
Trauma (n=107) | Inner-city health: general medicine (n=64) | |
| Emergency room (n=75) Gynaecological surgical wards (n=19) |
Oncology (n=104) | Inner-city health: respirology (n=15) | |
| Critical care (n=20) | Inner-city health: haematology/oncology (n=15) | ||
| Neurosciences, including spinal (n=81) | Inner-city health: emergency room (n=31) | ||
| Number of FTEs available to provide PWS | Saturday=3 Sunday=3 Statutory holidays=3 |
Saturday=4 Sunday=4 Statutory holidays=4 |
Saturday=2.5–3 Sunday=1.5–2 Statutory holidays=1.5–2 |
| Cardiorespiratory conditions given priority over the weekend | Significant atelactasis; sputum retention and risk of re-intubation | Retained secretions+ineffective cough; recently extubated and significant atelectasis | Sputum retention; significant atelectasis and deterioration in respiratory status |
| Strategies to deal with excessive workloads | 1.0 FTE available on call if required | Nil | Nil |
ENT=ears, nose, and throat; FTE=full-time equivalent; ICU=intensive care unit; PT=physiotherapy;
PWS=physiotherapy weekend service