We had the opportunity to design and manage a cross-organizational project team in a medical and welfare complex where approximately 1,000 physiotherapists are affiliated. This report details the process and results of this initiative.
Starting in September 2021, we began constructing a cross-organizational project team. The team was designed with the goal of assigning one member to each hospital. Applicants were surveyed via a questionnaire about their thoughts on the vision of the rehabilitation department, areas of interest as physiotherapists, and qualifications other than physiotherapy. Based on these responses, a selection was made by a total of three people, including the leader and sub-leaders, resulting in 24 selected members. At the initial team meeting, we presented the team's goals and how to proceed with team activities using an online system. To confirm progress and discuss each initiative, we held regular monthly meetings. Members were divided into five groups, each assigned a theme to work on. Based on these themes, group members set goals and developed action plans. Information related to team activities was managed online, accessible to all members. Additionally, each member set individual annual goals based on the team's objectives, and one-on-one interviews with the leader and sub-leaders were conducted twice a year regarding these goals.
Eighty-four percent of physiotherapists reported feeling an improvement in knowledge through the case study meetings on femoral neck fractures. By creating and disseminating standard physiotherapy protocols for proximal femoral fractures within the medical and welfare complex and implementing them in each hospital, we aimed to homogenize physiotherapy practices. By conducting explanatory meetings on the lifelong learning system of the Japanese Physical Therapy Association, the number of hospitals conducting training within the medical and welfare complex increased by 66%.
Through this project, the design and management of a cross-organizational project team led to several outcomes, such as improving physiotherapists' professional knowledge and providing standardized physiotherapy. The introduction of standard physiotherapy for proximal femoral fractures and the implementation of explanatory meetings on the lifelong learning system resulted in an increase in the number of hospitals conducting training. This suggests that the quality of physiotherapy in the medical and welfare complex has advanced.
This initiative suggests that the introduction of a cross-organizational project team and management methods utilizing online tools in medical and welfare complexes with many physiotherapists may contribute to improving the quality of physiotherapy. While this approach may serve as a reference for other medical institutions and welfare facilities, further examination is necessary.
Management
Physiotherapist
