Physical Therapy Case Files: Acute Care.
This concise and well thought out book embraces evidence-based practice and reinforces the fundamental physical therapy principles of patient care in acute-care settings. The 31 cases chosen for this edition represent paediatric to geriatric populations ranging from acute to chronic conditions and present pathology across a spectrum of diagnostic categories involving the musculoskeletal, cardiorespiratory, neurological, and integumentary systems, including a variety of comorbidities related to infection, inflammation, and post-surgical sequelae. These cases represent real-life scenarios that clinicians might encounter in clinical practice, giving learners the opportunity to review clinical patterns, pathology, examination, diagnosis, and treatment strategies in a guided, evidence-informed fashion. To provide a universal foundation, the cases are formatted using the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework.1 Cases are organized such that learners can progress sequentially or focus on a specific area of interest. Each case begins with a patient scenario, followed by a series of four to seven questions that probe key areas of inquiry. The discussion of each case is divided into nine subsections designed to take the learner through a systematic clinical reasoning process: Key definitions explain some of the pertinent terminology used in the case. Case objectives provide a framework to help learners progress through the case while highlighting the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they are expected to be able to demonstrate after completing it. PT considerations summarize the suggested physical therapy plan of care, goals, interventions, precautions, and potential complications for the case. Understanding the health condition provides pertinent background information to ensure that learners have the relevant context for the case, including relevant details related to etiology, pathology, risk factors, epidemiology, and medical management. Although the information provided is on a very high level, it guides learners to areas for further inquiry. Physical therapy patient/client management offers an overview of the physical therapy role in the case and emphasizes the inter-professional collaborative practice roles that should be considered in the overall care of the patient. Examination, evaluation and diagnosis guides learners through an evidence-informed process from initial data gathering at the level of chart review through to the key areas to probe and assess during subjective and objective physical assessments. Relevant outcome measures are reviewed, along with the process by which a clinician would consider all the evidence to develop a diagnosis. Plan of care and interventions suggests targeted interventions for the patient's condition. Each suggested intervention is accompanied by the evidence to support its use, presented concisely and clearly so that learners can quickly integrate it into their clinical reasoning framework. Evidence-based clinical recommendations are provided for at least three clinical recommendations. These recommendations, which may be related to diagnostic tools or treatment interventions for the case, are graded using the Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy (SORT).2 To facilitate quick reference to the evidence and allow learners to easily locate the cited evidence, the key phrases from each recommendation are given in boldface in the text of the case. Comprehensive questions and answers allow learners to reinforce and elaborate on the content presented through two to four multiple-choice questions. The answers provided integrate the evidence and explain why the answer is correct in the context of the case. With the publication of Physical Therapy Case Files: Acute Care, Erin Jobst has introduced a valuable learning resource for practising clinicians and learners at all levels of their training to review and acquire new knowledge in an evidence-informed manner. The opportunities this text offers to implement a robust clinical reasoning model while immersed in a real-world case scenario allow learners to move from knowledge to practice in a seamless manner. The breadth and depth of the cases allow learners to explore a range of clinical settings and clinical diagnoses varying from single system to multisystem involvement while considering cases that highlight the importance of lifespan. Jobst has created an impressive collection of cases that provide opportunities for clinicians at all levels of their development to reflect on their current knowledge, skills, and attitudes and apply evidence-informed clinical reasoning processes to enhance their practice.
Read more
1