%0 Journal Article
%T The development and implementation of a regional network of physiotherapists for exercise therapy in patients with peripheral arterial disease, a preliminary report
%A EM Willigendael
%A BLW Bendermacher
%A C van der Berg
%A RJThJ Welten
%A MH Prins
%A RA Bie de
%A JAW Teijink
%J BMC Health Services Research
%D 2005
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1472-6963-5-49
%X In October 2003 all 59 regional physiotherapy practices were invited to attend a symposium regarding ET in a physiotherapeutic setting. Attending physiotherapists interested in providing ET and willing to follow a certified course on ET, were asked to register. Three tastkgroups were formed to accomplish the set targets: Exercise therapy education, Exercise therapy implementation and continuity, and Inter-professional communication in the Parkstad region.In total 27 physiotherapists, from 22 different practices followed the educational program and are now trained and accredited to provide ET according to the guideline of the Royal Dutch Society for Physiotherapy. A web-based database wasdesigned to contain information on disease specific items provided by the vascular surgery department, and aspects with respect to ET registered by the physiotherapist. The information is regularly updated and available online. Access tothe database is restricted to vascular surgeons and physiotherapists in the network. The secondary purpose of the database is to register essential benchmark data for future analysis of ET in a physiotherapeutic setting in the Netherlands and to enable physiotherapists continuous feedback on patient performance. A triage system was developed to detect patients with a compromised cardiac history. This group receives ET at the in-hospital department of revalidation with the possibility of immediate consultation of a cardiologist in case of cardiac complications or even CPR.The Network Exercise Therapy Parkstad of supervised ET is the first initiative in the Netherlands to provide ET close to the patient's home environment. With the implementation of supervised ET in an outpatient physiotherapeutic setting for all eligible patients with symptomatic PAD, the access to care has been improved. A web-based communication system provides physiotherapists and vascular surgeons with all the necessary and continues updated patient information. Future research, cu
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/5/49