Role of physical therapists in the neonatal intensive care units: a case study at provincial hospitals in the North East of Thailand

Abstract

Neonates in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) are at substantial risk of morbidity and mortality. Physiotherapists form part of the neonatal intensive care team and provide physiotherapy treatments for these vulnerable babies. However, there is no publication about the role of physiotherapy in NICU in North East of Thailand. Thus, the aim of this study was to survey the roles, needs and knowledge to be improved of physiotherapists who have worked in NICU at the provincial hospitals in the North East of Thailand. Questionnaires were sent to the 17 physiotherapy departments of the provincial hospitals by post. There are 79 physiotherapists who have worked in NICU. The questionnaire return rate was 100%. The participants were asked to rank the frequency of each role with a score between 1 (the lowest frequency) to 4 (the highest frequency). The results showed that the most significant role of physiotherapist assessment in NICU was chest physiotherapy (observation, palpation and auscultation) at 3.92 ± 0.31 while the least significant was standard screening tools for neonates at 1.22 ± 0.52. The chest physiotherapy techniques were also applied in NICU at the highest frequency of 3.96 ± 0.19while the lowest frequency was behavior management at 1.29 ± 0.69. The other highest role was physiotherapy practical teaching for physiotherapy students at 2.86 ± 1.0.The most common subject which physiotherapists wanted to be improved in NICU was clinical practice guidelines. In conclusion, there are still some physiotherapy roles to be developed in NICU. In addition, further training should be provided, for example, on clinical practice guidelines.