[The evaluation of the structural quality of clinical physiotherapy protocols produced in primary care. Members of the Protocol Evaluation Team].

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the quality of the design (structural) of the clinical protocols elaborated in all the health centers, ambulatory or consulting of Spain with protocolized physical therapy activities.

DESIGN

Observational retrospective study lasting 7 years.

SETTING

Primary care of health. PARTICIPATING: All the clinical physical therapy protocols elaborated from 1990 to 1997.

MEASUREMENTS

They are elaborated 8 criteria of quality of the design of the protocols. Assessment of the reliability inter-rather of those criteria, adding explanations to two of they. It is proceeded to the evaluation of the quality of the design of 158 gathered protocols, being obtained the number from nonfulfillments.

RESULTS

Compliance of the criteria: 49.36% (78) have record system. 32.91% (52) have anticipated their/its/your/his evaluation. 20.88% (33) have some algorithm. 38.6% (61) have page of history and/or specific exploration. 96.83% (153) have a minor extension of 20 pages. Only 22.15% (35) have index. 36.7% (58) do not have formal writing defects and legibility and 22.7% (36) provide bibliography. Only one of the eight criteria is complianced in more than 50% of the protocols; it being fulfilled in less than 30% other three. By and large the clinical protocols present a total of 758 defects, with a defects average by protocol of 5.24 (0 defects in a case).

CONCLUSIONS

The structural quality of the clinical physical therapy protocols elaborated in primary attention until 1997 is decreases (globally fulfil 40.03% of the proposed criteria). The decrease quality of the protocols is significantly heterogeneous between the autonomous community and the elaboration years. They are necessary corrective measures to improve this situation.