This document discusses the importance of quality indicators in physical therapy. It defines quality indicators as measurable aspects of healthcare that define minimum standards of care. Quality indicators can be used to identify care gaps, inform policy, and prioritize quality improvement initiatives. The document then discusses how quality indicators are important for physical therapists to guide clinical decisions and evaluate treatment effectiveness. It also discusses how quality indicators can be used by patients, managers, and policymakers. Examples of implementing quality indicators in physical therapy practice from Europe and the US are provided.

1. IMPORTANCE OF HEALTH
CARE QUALITY IN
PHYSICAL THERAPY
By: Arsanious Sabry Attia Moussa

2. Physical therapy quality
indicators
 quality indicators: are specific, measurable
aspects of health care that define the minimum
standard of care patients can expect to receive
for a given health condition or treatment
intervention.

3.  Quality indicators : can be used to identify
care gaps, inform health care policy and health
service delivery, support accountability,
promote transparency in health care, and
prioritize quality improvement initiatives.
 6 national health care quality reporting
categories that represent high-quality health
care : safety, timeliness, effectiveness,
efficiency, equity, and patient centeredness.

4. importance of Quality in
physiotherapy
 focus on the key areas of increasing patient care,
improving processes, working as a team and
using data to gauge results. For physical therapy
services programs, leveraging the resources,
expertise and experience of a dedicated partner
can help with quality improvement in the following
specific ways:
 More efficient workflows
 Better data collection
 Expanded service offerings
 Training and development improvements
 Increased compliance support

5. Prevent waste

6. Close the gap

7. Physiotherapist and use of QI’s
 Physical therapists can use QIs as a tool to
guide clinical decision making, implement
guideline recommendations, evaluate
treatment effectiveness, and report
achievement of benchmarks to key
stakeholders, including third-party payers and
patients

8. Patients and use of QI’s
 Patients and their family members can use QIs to
make informed decisions about their health care
options, select providers and programs, and
monitor the quality of care received. Rehabilitation
managers and senior decision makers can use
QIs to assess care gaps and benchmark
achievement; guide quality improvement
initiatives; undertake strategic planning; and
compare health service delivery across providers,
clinical settings, and regions. Policy makers can
use QIs to set national benchmarks, determine
resource allocation and pay-for-performance
metrics, and inform health care policy.14,16

9. Stakeholders ,decision makers and
use of QI’s
 Rehabilitation managers and senior decision
makers can use QIs to assess care gaps and
benchmark achievement; guide quality
improvement initiatives; undertake strategic
planning; and compare health service delivery
across providers, clinical settings, and regions.
 Policy makers can use QIs to set national
benchmarks, determine resource allocation
and pay-for-performance metrics, and inform
health care policy.14,16

10. Examples on Implementing QI’s in
phyisotherapy practice
 The European Musculoskeletal Conditions Surveillance and
Information Network created—as part of the development of
standards for medical and rehabilitation care and QIs for OA
and rheumatoid arthritis—an audit tool to help clinicians and
decision makers implement quality measures. This tool
includes initial questions regarding the applicability of QIs to a
given institution (relevance) and whether data can be
collected for the specific indicator (feasibility). This European
consortium also developed consumer-friendly instruments
that can be used by patients to assess the quality of care
they have received and discuss treatment options. Although
the clinician tool falls short of providing a means to collect
and monitor QI data during an ongoing encounter with a
patient, the audit and feedback process can be useful for self-
reflective practice and for identifying inconsistencies or gaps
in care within or across providers.

11. Examples on Implementing QI’s in
phyisotherapy practice
 In the United States, the AHRQ offers a toolkit
to help hospital staff members understand
AHRQ QIs and to support them in
implementing these indicators to improve
quality and patient safety in hospital settings.
The toolkit focuses on patient safety and
inpatient QIs and provides guidance on
planning, improving, and sustaining
improvement strategies related to specific
QIs. Suggestions on how physical therapists
can actively participate in efforts regarding QIs
and begin to implement them in practice .

12. How to recruit quality tools to serve
physical therapy

13. References
 https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.mnapta.org/resou
rce/resmgr/imported/Quality%20Improvement.
pdf
 https://allianceptp.com/why-is-quality-
improvement-important-in-health-care-and-
therapy-services/
 https://academic.oup.com/ptj/article/96/1/90/26
86387