[Roles of physical, occupational and speech therapists in in-home medical care].

To clarify the current status and issues encountered by physical, occupational, and speech therapists in in-home medical care, a mail survey was conducted in 1996 of 1,292 physicians in the Tokyo metropolitan area who were presumed to have in-home patients. Of the 656 respondents, 243 physicians (37.0%) stated that therapists were involved in treatment of their patients, with 223 of the therapists being physical therapists, 42 being occupational therapists, and 25 being speech therapists. Of the 243 responses, 75 answered that they themselves provided instructions to the therapists, 58 stated that while other physicians were involved in instructing the therapists but the therapists reported to them, and 115 answered that there was no relationship between physicians and therapists. For reasons why the physicians did not request services of therapists for their patients, responses were that the patients had no need for the therapists, that they did not know where to ask for therapist services, and that they did not need the therapists because their own instruction was adequate. Of the 243 physicians, 209 (86.0%) pointed out the advantages of therapists visits, such as patients and families welcomed these services, they resulted in improvement of functions and status of patients, and family members also experienced improvement of health. On the other hand, 118 (48.6%) pointed out disadvantages, such as unfamiliar instructors, and unclear specialties of the therapists.