Physical and occupational therapy for arthritic patients: a cooperative effort among hospital departments.

The importance of a team approach for optimum management of arthritis is recognized, but small hospitals and clinics may have difficulty supporting a team when the number of arthritic patients treated by any one department is not large. A cooperative effort of our 500-bed hospital's sections of rheumatology, physical medicine, and orthopedic surgery provides a physical therapist and an occupational therapist to work exclusively with arthritic patients. By working across departmental lines the therapists perform enough services to pay their salaries. Patients benefit not only from the availability of therapist specialists but also from continuity of care. Presence of the therapists has permitted extension of care to a satellite clinic and to patients' homes. The cooperating sections have acquired personnel and capabilities not available to them if acting independently.