Physical Therapists Use Whiteboard to Help Rehab Communication

Physical Medicine is a department that literally touches all units of a hospital. But at Fontana Medical Center, there was a disconnect between the nursing staff and the physical therapists who would come in to work with patients. As a result, nurses didn’t always know just how ambulatory their patients were becoming. The solution? The team decided that a prominent marker board in the patient’s room would be the best way for nurses and physical therapists to communicate.

Here's What Worked

• Collaborating on “hand-off” messages between Physical Therapy and nursing staff
• Writing specific messages about daily therapy sessions on a board in the patient’s room
• Standardizing information placed on the boards

What can your team do to encourage better communication between team members?