Abstract
Objectives
To assess the readiness of primary and emergency care physiotherapy services for continuity of care for patients with musculoskeletal conditions during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the United Kingdom and Australia and to identify differences between the 2 countries.
Design
An international online cross-sectional survey was conducted between January and April 2023. The survey used a 3-point- Likert scale of agreement, neutral, and disagreement to understand readiness. Data were analyzed descriptively. Chi-square was used to determine differences in the readiness between countries.
Setting
The study setting includes primary care in the United Kingdom and emergency departments in Australia.
Participants
Study participants are physiotherapists managing patients with musculoskeletal conditions in the primary care and emergency departments in the United Kingdom and Australia, respectively.
Interventions
The survey was used to understand physiotherapy services in primary and emergency care readiness for continuity of health care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Main Outcome Measures
Items identified in Dearing's readiness tools for global health interventions were used to assess the readiness of primary and emergency care for COVID-19 pandemic.
Results
One hundred and fifty-three physiotherapists participated in the survey, with 64.1% from the United Kingdom and 35.9% from Australia. The main age groups were 35-44 years (42.2%) and 45-54 years (31.2%), with 59.3% female participants. In both the United Kingdom and Australia, respondents reported higher disagreement regarding the availability of technical support (60.7%; 66.7%), stakeholder buy-in of interventions introduced (63.6%; 90.5%), emergency response guidance (51.6%; 41.6%), infrastructure (42.2%, 39.0%), and human resources (37.9%, 39.0%). Conversely, there was more agreement with leadership (65.6%; 53.7%), clear mission and vision (55.2%; 41.0%), compatibility of interventions (48.5%; 32.4%), external partnerships (39.3%; 24.2%), finance (38.1%; 43.2%), supplies and procurement (35.5%; 48.7%), and learning (35.7%; 40.5%). There was no significant difference between countries in terms of readiness (P<.001).
Conclusions
This study indicates that primary and emergency care were inadequately prepared for continuous health care services for patients with musculoskeletal conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. This underscores the need to prepare physiotherapy services for public health emergencies, with consideration for context.
Disclosures
none.