A Physical Therapist’s Notes and the Wonders of an Abstract Screening

Sriya s -

Hello everyone! For this (slightly belated) post of what I accomplished this week, I was finally able to proceed onto the abstract screening portion of my systematic review and meta-analysis. Once I started looking at the sources beyond the simple title screening, it becomes clear a lot don’t fit the criteria: whether it be not enough elderly patients being studied, a case study rather than a clinical trial, or simply not a clean match in what the study was using blood flow restriction therapy with. This phenomenon really reaffirms a lot of what previous meta-analyses have shown.

At the physical therapy office this week, I was introduced to “notes” by the therapist I work with. Unfortunately, in the medical field, homework doesn’t stop after school is done! Physicians and physical therapists both are required to complete “notes” after each patient’s appointments, to note their progress in their recovery journey and point out any lingering difficulties, goals they aim to reach, and unique life circumstances that may present a difficulty or alter the way their therapy must be managed. This is really just a part of how therapists build a constantly adjusted, holistic recovery method for the patient. Sometimes, the small details matter the most! For instance, the physical therapist I worked with asked me details about the gait (balance) of a hip patient I was aiding, specifically in how they moved between exercises.

For the upcoming week, I plan to finish up my abstract screening and move on to reading some of these papers, in full-text format!

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    suma_k
    Hi Sriya! It is very reassuring that so much detailed observation goes into monitoring a patient's recovery. I never realized that therapists worked with so much paperwork! I'm excited to see where your research takes you!
    sunisha_s
    Hi Sriya, your project sounds so exciting and this was such a fun read! Do therapists typically complete their notes after each patient, or do they wait until the end of the day to document everything?
    eesha_s
    I really enjoyed reading your blog Sriya! I'm glad your project is going smoothly. Since many of the sources did not end up fitting the criteria, do you think you will need to search for any more or do you still have enough sources?
    sriya_s
    They usually complete their notes after each patient! My job as a therapy tech is to work through exercises with patients, so there's usually downtime for the therapists to finish their notes.
    sriya_s
    Thanks so much Eesha. Yes, I think I may need to continue my search!

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