@article {Jesudason664, author = {Christabel Jesudason and Kathy Stiller and Matthew McInnes and Thomas Sullivan}, title = {A physiotherapy service to an emergency extended care unit does not decrease admission rates to hospital: a randomised trial}, volume = {29}, number = {8}, pages = {664--669}, year = {2012}, doi = {10.1136/emermed-2011-200157}, publisher = {British Association for Accident and Emergency Medicine}, abstract = {Background One of the reasons physiotherapy services are provided to emergency departments (EDs) and emergency extended care units (EECUs) is to review patients{\textquoteright} mobility to ensure they are safe to be discharged home.Aim To investigate whether a physiotherapy service to an EECU altered the rate of hospital admission, rate of re-presentation to the ED, visits to community healthcare practitioners, return to usual work/home/leisure activities and patient satisfaction.Methods A randomised trial with concealed allocation, assessor blinding and intention-to-treat analysis was undertaken in an EECU. The sample comprised 186 patients (mean age 70 years, 123 (66\%) female patients, 130 (70\%) trauma) who were referred for physiotherapy assessment/intervention. Referral occurred at any stage of the patients{\textquoteright} EECU admission. All participants received medical/nursing care as required. The physiotherapy group also received physiotherapy assessment/intervention.Results The physiotherapy group had a 4\% (95\% CI -18\% to 9\%) lower rate of admission to hospital than the control group and a 4\% (95\% CI -6\% to 13\%) higher rate of re-presentation to the ED, which were statistically non-significant (p>=0.45). Differences between groups for use of community healthcare resources, return to usual work/home/leisure activities and satisfaction with their EECU care were small and not significant.Conclusion A physiotherapy service for EECU patients, as provided in this study, did not reduce the rate of hospital admission, rate of re-presentation to the ED, use of community healthcare resources, or improve the rate of return to usual work/home/leisure activities or patient satisfaction.Trial registration number ANZCTRN12609000106235.}, issn = {1472-0205}, URL = {https://emj.bmj.com/content/29/8/664}, eprint = {https://emj.bmj.com/content/29/8/664.full.pdf}, journal = {Emergency Medicine Journal} }