Flexible rehab path wins wide physician support.
A joint replacement pathway developed at DuBois (PA) Regional Medical Center has made fans out of patients and orthopedic surgeons like, thanks to its extremely flexible approach, which accommodates all the varying practice patterns of the referring physicians. The pathway's designer, himself a physician, devised the pathway to be so flexible because he realized that the orthopedic physicians would never be persuaded to standardize their practice patterns. Even with the designer's attempts at accommodation, many orthopedic physicians held off endorsing the pathway until patients began sharing their enthusiasm for it. The pathway has served as a useful training tool for young physical therapists.
D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D019091:Critical Pathways; D006801:Humans; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology; D010414:Pennsylvania; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'