A question about recovery: Will working on the weekend help people return to life?
 "My therapy is outstanding and I'm working really hard to recover," says Barry. "I want to get home as soon as I can." |
Holding a large red Sudoku book, Barry Beazley settles comfortably into his bed after easing himself out of his wheelchair. A week earlier, he couldn't get into bed on his own. Now, he's able to do it with little assistance.
In February 2010, Barry underwent a major operation to fix a broken titanium post on the left side of his artificial hip. Although the 75-year old golfer already underwent five major surgeries on his leg, knee, and hip, it was the first time he was admitted to a specialized rehab facility.
To help patients like Barry shorten their stay in the hospital, St. John's Rehab Hospital expanded its rehab services to seven days per week - offering inpatient therapy, admissions and discharges on the weekend. Outpatient service hours were also extended, allowing us to care for patients sooner and eliminating our waiting list for care.
The goal is to streamline the flow of patients from acute care into a specialized rehabilitation facility, so patients get the kind of care they need.
"Our approach reduces the wait time for both acute care and rehab," explains Malcolm Moffat, President and CEO of St. John's Rehab Hospital. "This allows patients to participate in rehab earlier and get back to an active life sooner."
For Barry, this means getting home sooner to his six grandchildren.
"The weekend therapy helped me improve faster," he says. "Your illness doesn't stop being an illness on Saturday or Sunday. Having that consistency is important."
For eight months between February and September 2009, researchers studied whether the expanded services improved patients' recovery and independence. We found that the number of patients we admitted and discharged increased by nearly three per cent. Wait times for admission to rehab decreased by nearly one day and patient's average length of stay decreased by almost two days. That's two more days that people can spend with their families and in their communities.
The hospital's rehab peers have recognized the importance of this research. The authors of the study recently received a People's Choice Award at the 2010 GTA Rehab Network Best Practices Day. Our researchers will continue to explore how the expanded services enhance patient recovery and add capacity to the healthcare system.
Barry's determination and hard work has paid off. After less than two weeks of treatment, he went home in early March. Without weekend therapy, his stay in rehab could have been longer.
"My two greatest passions are my wife and travelling," he says. "I'm looking forward to getting back to both."