Operational Considerations for Physical Therapy During COVID-19: A Rapid Review

OBJECTIVE: Physical therapists play an important role in responding to pandemic and physical disaster situations. Existing literature can provide guidance to health care leadership teams to appropriately and safely leverage physical therapy resources and skill sets during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to provide a review of the pandemic and physical disaster management literature to summarize physical therapy–specific operational considerations to assist hospital-based leadership teams in planning and response efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A rapid review was conducted over a 4-week time frame (April–May 2020). The review team included 3 physical therapist clinician researchers, a health librarian, and a member of the physical therapy leadership team. The initial search strategy identified 303 articles, 80 of which were retained for full-text screening. Twenty articles were included in the review. RESULTS: Five main categories of operational considerations for physical therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic were identified: (1) organizational actions, (2) staffing considerations, (3) physical therapist roles, (4) physical resources, and (5) other considerations. Additional relevant information from physical therapists’ experiences in physical disaster situations was also summarized. CONCLUSION: The evidence presented within this review can be used to inform facility-based and regional planning efforts during the current COVID-19 pandemic and in general preparedness planning. IMPACT: Physical therapists have an important role to play in response efforts related to major events that impact health and wellness, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence-informed, facility-based, and regional planning during the current COVID-19 pandemic will help physical therapists enhance their role in treating patients in physical therapy and rehabilitation settings.