https://doi.org/10.4081/monaldi.2021.1762

Physiotherapist involvement in the pandemic era: a Lombardy region survey

Vol. 91 No. 3 (2021)
Submitted: January 5, 2021
Accepted: April 17, 2021
Published: May 4, 2021
Physiotherapist, COVID-19 pandemic, health care professionals, work organization
Abstract Views: 1747
PDF: 777
Supplementary: 102
Annex 1: 105
Annex 2: 109
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Authors

Emilia Privitera
emilia.privtera@gmail.com
Health Professions Department Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan; Italian Association of Respiratory Physiotherapists (ARIR), Italy.
Francesco D'Abrosca
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0505-2371
Italian Association of Respiratory Physiotherapists (ARIR), Italy.
Giuseppe Gaudiello
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1270-9397
Italian Association of Respiratory Physiotherapists (ARIR), Italy.
Marta Lazzeri
Italian Association of Respiratory Physiotherapists (ARIR); Cardio-Thoracic Department, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy.
Angela Bellofiore
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0037-1392
Health Professions Department Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
Pamela Frigerio
Mother-Child Department, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy.
Martina Santambrogio
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7428-7927
Italian Association of Respiratory Physiotherapists (ARIR); Respiratory Unit and Cystic Fibrosis Adult Center, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.

In February 2020 the first COVID-19 case was reported in Italy and afterwards the virus started spreading rapidly, increasing dramatically the number of infected subjects. To face the pandemic outbreak, hospitals converted wards to assure COVID-19 patients’ care and adopted measures to reduce virus diffusion. The aim of this study was to determine how many physiotherapists, in the Lombardy region, worked during pandemic, whether they continued their usual practice or were employed in COVID-19 wards and in which tasks they were involved. The survey was submitted online by the national professional order. The response rate was 11.79%. During the pandemic, 648 (53.9%) respondents interrupted their services. Less than 20% of the physiotherapists that continued working were assigned to COVID-19 wards with the role of physiotherapist. Only a small proportion of respondents had advanced skills in respiratory physiotherapy. Moreover, this study showed a limited involvement of physiotherapists inside the very acute and intense settings. In conclusion, this work revealed that, during COVID-19 pandemic, in the Lombardy region a small percentage of physiotherapists was employed in COVID-19 wards, mainly in post-acute context. Even though the response rate of this survey was very low, this study highlights the need to define and underline the role of physiotherapy in acute setting during emergency.

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Supporting Agencies

Lombardy region section of the National Professional Order

How to Cite

Privitera, Emilia, Francesco D'Abrosca, Giuseppe Gaudiello, Marta Lazzeri, Angela Bellofiore, Pamela Frigerio, and Martina Santambrogio. 2021. “Physiotherapist Involvement in the Pandemic Era: A Lombardy Region Survey”. Monaldi Archives for Chest Disease 91 (3). https://doi.org/10.4081/monaldi.2021.1762.
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