ABSTRACT
This paper discusses productivity analysis, a method used in the Department of Rehabilitation Services at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston to measure the efficiency of occupational therapy services. Input and output information forms are displayed for a computerized program of productivity analysis. Input information includes time and nontime (modality) units and scheduled downtime. Output reports contain productivity analyses which allow the manager to monitor the ratio between actual hours worked by therapists and allocated hours per service. The data generated give weekly, monthly, and yearly feedback on performance by service and discipline. The objective information produced by these reports on service and department function contributes to management decisions on resource allocation and equipment requests.
Subject(s)
Efficiency , Hospital Departments/economics , Occupational Therapy Department, Hospital/economics , Boston , Cost Control/methods , Employee Performance Appraisal , Hospital Information Systems , Hospital Records , Hospitals, Teaching/economics , Hospitals, Teaching/organization & administration , Occupational Therapy Department, Hospital/organization & administration , Personnel Staffing and SchedulingABSTRACT
Productivity management through cost analysis is fundamental in today's health care. A description of a cost analysis and management reporting system based on relative value units is presented in this article along with a practical method of identifying variable, fixed, and total costs for occupational therapy. Occupational therapy management participation in the cost analysis process is also discussed.
Subject(s)
Fees and Charges , Hospital Departments/economics , Occupational Therapy Department, Hospital/economics , Boston , Costs and Cost Analysis/methods , Hospitals, Teaching/economics , Hospitals, Teaching/organization & administration , Occupational Therapy Department, Hospital/organization & administration , Pilot ProjectsABSTRACT
This investigation evaluated the effectiveness of the traditional and facilitation approaches to therapeutic exercise in stroke patients. A total of 42 adults (24 men and 18 women) with a mean age of 61.6 years (SD = 21) were selected from a larger population of hospitalized stroke victims. Stroke patients were classified by CT scan information and judged medically fit to participate in a nonrestrictive program by neurologic examinations and laboratory tests. The Barthel Index and the manual muscle test were administered at admission and discharge. Both facilitation and traditional exercise therapies improved functional and motor performance, but there were no significant differences between these approaches. The lack of differences between the facilitation and traditional exercise therapies may be due to heterogeneity of the stroke population, the small sample size, and the measurements used. The study demonstrates the need for a measurement instrument capable of reliably assessing the facilitation approach. Future investigations should incorporate lesion type, site, and side along with global measurements in evaluating differences among motor remediation approaches.
