First Contact Physiotherapy: Difference between revisions

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== Introduction ==
== Introduction ==
Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions are among the leading causes of years lost to disability<ref>Steel N, Ford JA, Newton JN, Davis AC, Vos T, Naghavi M, Glenn S, Hughes A, Dalton AM, Stockton D, Humphreys C. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5605509/ Changes in health in the countries of the UK and 150 English Local Authority areas 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016]. The Lancet. 2018 Nov 3;392(10158):1647-61.</ref>, with an annual loss reported at approximately 30 million working days in the UK<ref>Office for National Statistics (2017) Sickness absence in the UK labour market: 2016. Available from: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/labourproductivity/articles/sicknessabsenceinthelabourmarket/2016</ref>. The demand for MSK healthcare continues to rise as the number of General Practitioners (GPs) across the UK decline<ref>https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/nhs-delivery-and-workforce/pressures/pressures-in-general-practice-data-analysis#:~:text=September%202015%20to%20October%202022,-Partners&text=This%20has%20created%20a%20net,in%20the%20last%20year%20alone.</ref>. One of the solutions for this growing need is the employment of First Contact Physiotherapists (FCPs)<ref name=":0">Goodwin R, Moffatt F, Hendrick P, Stynes S, Bishop A, Logan P. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8612276/#bib0005 Evaluation of the First Contact Physiotherapy (FCP) model of primary care: a qualitative insight.] Physiotherapy. 2021 Dec 1;113:209-16.</ref> as 20-30% of all GP consultations are MSK in nature.<ref>Thomson J, Syme G. [https://www.gov.scot/publications/allied-health-professional-ahp-musculoskeletal-pathway-framework-national-minimum-standard/pages/2/ Allied health professional (AHP) musculoskeletal pathway framework: national minimum standards. Scottish Government;] 2014. <nowiki>https://www.gov.scot/publications/allied-health-professional-ahp-musculoskeletal-pathway-framework-national-minimum-standard/pages/2/</nowiki></ref>
Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions are among the leading causes of years lost to disability<ref>Steel N, Ford JA, Newton JN, Davis AC, Vos T, Naghavi M, Glenn S, Hughes A, Dalton AM, Stockton D, Humphreys C. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5605509/ Changes in health in the countries of the UK and 150 English Local Authority areas 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016]. The Lancet. 2018 Nov 3;392(10158):1647-61.</ref>, with an annual loss reported at approximately 30 million working days in the UK<ref>Office for National Statistics (2017) Sickness absence in the UK labour market: 2016. Available from: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/labourproductivity/articles/sicknessabsenceinthelabourmarket/2016</ref>. The demand for MSK healthcare continues to rise as the number of General Practitioners (GPs) across the UK decline<ref>https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/nhs-delivery-and-workforce/pressures/pressures-in-general-practice-data-analysis#:~:text=September%202015%20to%20October%202022,-Partners&text=This%20has%20created%20a%20net,in%20the%20last%20year%20alone.</ref>. One of the solutions for this growing need is the employment of First Contact Physiotherapists (FCPs)<ref name=":0">Goodwin R, Moffatt F, Hendrick P, Stynes S, Bishop A, Logan P. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8612276/#bib0005 Evaluation of the First Contact Physiotherapy (FCP) model of primary care: a qualitative insight.] Physiotherapy. 2021 Dec 1;113:209-16.</ref> as a considerable fraction of the total GP consultations are MSK in nature, averaging at 20-30% in England.<ref>Thomson J, Syme G. [https://www.gov.scot/publications/allied-health-professional-ahp-musculoskeletal-pathway-framework-national-minimum-standard/pages/2/ Allied health professional (AHP) musculoskeletal pathway framework: national minimum standards. Scottish Government;] 2014. <nowiki>https://www.gov.scot/publications/allied-health-professional-ahp-musculoskeletal-pathway-framework-national-minimum-standard/pages/2/</nowiki></ref>


== First Contact Physiotherapy Model ==
== First Contact Physiotherapy Model ==
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First Contact Physiotherapy is a primary care model where expert MSK physiotherapists undertake the first patient consultation, to enhance MSK-patient care and free-up GP capacity<ref name=":0" />. FCPs are mainly Extended Scope Physiotherapists (ESP) which are advanced physiotherapists with many years of experience and are typically under band 7 in the NHS grading system<ref>https://firstcontactpractitioner.org.uk/what-are-first-contact-practitioners/</ref>.  
First Contact Physiotherapy is a primary care model where expert MSK physiotherapists undertake the first patient consultation, to enhance MSK-patient care and free-up GP capacity<ref name=":0" />. FCPs are mainly Extended Scope Physiotherapists (ESP) which are advanced physiotherapists with many years of experience and are typically under band 7 in the NHS grading system<ref>https://firstcontactpractitioner.org.uk/what-are-first-contact-practitioners/</ref>.  


Benefits:  
Roles of FCPs:  


* immediate access to physiotherapy  
* Assess, diagnose and treat patients independently
* longer time with patients
* Order investigations (imaging and blood tests)
* reduce GP workload
* Administer steroid injections and/or independently prescribe medication, such as analgesia or anti-inflammatories for MSK conditions
*
* Refer patients accordingly 
 
Benefits of FCP:
 
* immediate access to physiotherapy
* reduced GP workload
* increased patient satisfaction
* improved primary healthcare quality
* reduced sickness absence in the workforce
*  


== Case Studies ==
== Case Studies ==

Revision as of 17:06, 26 November 2022

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Top Contributors - Carina Therese Magtibay and Kim Jackson  

Introduction[edit | edit source]

Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions are among the leading causes of years lost to disability[1], with an annual loss reported at approximately 30 million working days in the UK[2]. The demand for MSK healthcare continues to rise as the number of General Practitioners (GPs) across the UK decline[3]. One of the solutions for this growing need is the employment of First Contact Physiotherapists (FCPs)[4] as a considerable fraction of the total GP consultations are MSK in nature, averaging at 20-30% in England.[5]

First Contact Physiotherapy Model[edit | edit source]

First Contact Physiotherapy is a primary care model where expert MSK physiotherapists undertake the first patient consultation, to enhance MSK-patient care and free-up GP capacity[4]. FCPs are mainly Extended Scope Physiotherapists (ESP) which are advanced physiotherapists with many years of experience and are typically under band 7 in the NHS grading system[6].

Roles of FCPs:

  • Assess, diagnose and treat patients independently
  • Order investigations (imaging and blood tests)
  • Administer steroid injections and/or independently prescribe medication, such as analgesia or anti-inflammatories for MSK conditions
  • Refer patients accordingly

Benefits of FCP:

  • immediate access to physiotherapy
  • reduced GP workload
  • increased patient satisfaction
  • improved primary healthcare quality
  • reduced sickness absence in the workforce

Case Studies[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]