Primary contact physiotherapy for patients with suggested vestibulopathy for an Australian ENT clinic: a retrospective cohort study

Objective To examine the newly established role of a primary contact physiotherapist in an ENT clinic, in an Australian cohort and context, over two phases of development. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted with data collected from a medical record audit. Over the study duration, the primary contact physiotherapist completed initial appointments with patients; follow-up appointments were subsequently conducted by medical staff. Results There was a 46 per cent reduction in patients with suggested vestibulopathy requiring an ENT medical review. This reduction could hypothetically increase to 71 per cent with follow-up primary contact physiotherapist appointments. Improvements in the service delivery model and a primary contact physiotherapist arranging diagnostic assessments could improve waitlist times and facilitate better utilisation of medical staff time. Conclusion The primary contact physiotherapist can help in the management of patients with suspected vestibulopathy on an ENT waitlist. This is achieved through: a reduction of patients requiring ENT review, improvements to waitlist time and improved utilisation of medical specialists' time.