Do emergency department physiotherapy Practitioner’s, emergency nurse practitioners and doctors investigate, treat and refer patients with closed musculoskeletal injuries differently?

• Published in: Emergency medicine journal : EMJ 2007-03, Vol.24 (3), p.185-188
• Main Authors: Ball, Stephen T E, Walton, Kate, Hawes, Stephen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Consultants; EDPP; emergency department physiotherapy practitioner; Emergency medical care; emergency nurse practitioner; Emergency Service, Hospital - organization & administration; Emergency Service, Hospital - standards; Emergency services; England; ENP; Fractures, Bone - diagnosis; Fractures, Bone - therapy; Guideline Adherence; Hospitals; Humans; Injuries; Joint Dislocations - diagnosis; Joint Dislocations - therapy; Long-Term Care - standards; Medical Staff, Hospital - standards; Musculoskeletal System - injuries; Nurse Practitioners - standards; Original; Patient satisfaction; Patients; Personnel, Hospital - standards; Physical Therapy Modalities - standards; Physicians; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Retrospective Studies; senior house officer; SHO; Soft Tissue Injuries - diagnosis; Soft Tissue Injuries - therapy; Studies; Trauma
• ISSN: 1472-0205; 1472-0213
• DOI: 10.1136/emj.2006.039537

Introduction: This paper aims to assess whether emergency department physiotherapy practitioner’s (EDPPs), emergency nurse practitioner’s (ENPs) and emergency department doctors investigate, treat and refer patients with closed musculoskeletal injuries differently. Method: The emergency department records of patients who fitted the departmental criteria for being treated by either ENPs, EDPPs or doctors were selected retrospectively during a 2½ month period between 1 March and 15 May 2005. The investigation, management and referral or discharge of these patients were analysed. Results: There was no significant difference between the proportion of patients sent for x ray and the type of clinician. (p = 0.17) There was also no significant difference between the proportions of x rays found to have fractures/dislocations with each type of clinician (p = 0.99). All fractures and dislocations were found to have been managed following the written departmental protocols. Consequently, further analysis was for soft tissue injuries only. For soft tissue injuries, senior house officers gave more patients analgesia/ non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs compared with other clinicians (86%, p