Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy in the Emergency Department – Evaluation of a New Physiotherapy Service in a Swiss University Hospital

Bern University of Applied Sciences, Academic Practice Partnership (APP) with Insel Gruppe, Bern, Switzerland. Background Many countries report a significant increase in emergency department (ED) visits. Patients with musculoskeletal disorders account for a large proportion of non-urgent cases. Objective Characterization and evaluation of a new service that provides immediate access to physiotherapy for patients in the ED. Method To characterize a new service at the Department of Emergency Medicine, Bern University Hospital, and to evaluate first experiences with it, a mixed methods approach was chosen. Data was…