Proposed Topic (Most preferred): :
Enhancing Partnership with Patients and Community (Projects initiated to engage patients / carers / community to improve efficiency / quality of care)
Proposed Topic (Second preferred): :
Clinical Safety and Quality Service III (Projects aiming at quality service to patients and their carers)
Authors (including presenting author) :
So SY(1), Leung J(2), Lau KM(1)
Affiliation :
(1)Physiotherapy Department, Tung Wah Eastern Hospital
(2)Physiotherapy Department, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital
Introduction :
Community support plays a vital role in facilitating the elderly with rehabilitation and their return to the community. In the Hong Kong Eastern Cluster (HKEC), numerous non-government organizations provide various types of community services. Physiotherapists should be responsible for identifying patient’s needs and signposting patients to available resources in the community. Bridging the gap between government and community service could allow a more comprehensive and supportive patient journey. Therefore, further education on different community resources within the cluster of physiotherapists will be beneficial.
Objectives :
- To increase staff awareness of the community resources available in the Hong Kong Eastern district within the Tung Wah Eastern Hospital (TWEH) Physiotherapy Department (PTD).
- To provide easily accessible information on community resources within the TWEH PTD.
Methodology :
During the preparation stage, information on community resources such as physiotherapy services and walking aids were collected from the internet and the patient resource center. The service providers were contacted to update the details of their services, including eligibility, cost, and service types. This information was then compiled into lists for easy reference. All lists and referral forms received from the service providers were uploaded to the department server for internal access.
A sharing session on the available community services was conducted for all physiotherapists working in TWEH. The sharing session covered the characteristics of the Hong Kong Eastern population, the available community resources, and instructions on accessing the community resources database on the department server. After the sharing session, participants completed a questionnaire to assess their knowledge of the community resources and their overall satisfaction.
Result & Outcome :
Fifteen physiotherapists participated in the sharing session and completed the questionnaire. Among all the respondent, only 53.3% reported being fully acquired of community resources in HKEC. After attending the sharing session, the percentage of physiotherapist reported being fully acquired community resources increased to 93.4%. Overall, 93.4% of the respondent was satisfied with the session and agreed that it improved their understanding towards community resources in HKEC. All respondents agreed that the information from the sharing session can benefit their patients.
