Connecting with Consultants
When Consultants and physiotherapists have an open dialogue, everyone benefits - especially the patient. Here are a few tips from Mr Peter Gallacher, Orthopaedic Consultant at Shrewsbury Hospital.
Keep Consultants informed of patient progress
When I'm following up with a patient as they recover from surgery, there's nothing more helpful to me than real insight into their progress. Physiotherapists spend more time with patients than we do during this phase and anything you can tell us about how they're progressing is useful for the advice we'll give them. It makes for a better patient experience and avoids Consultants feeling like they've been left out of the loop.
Sit in on a Consultation
Many Consultants will be glad to have you join a consultation with the patient. It's a chance to introduce them to the recovery team and helpful in answering their questions about rehabilitation. You'll gain insight into our world at the same time.
Get closer to surgery
The same goes for surgery. It can be very useful to know how surgery goes in order to pre-plan for the patient's recovery. You'll gain insight into the technical aspect of the operation and build rapport with the Consultant.