A survey of physicians to identify their expectations of respiratory therapists in patient assessment.

INTRODUCTION: The exact role of respiratory therapists (RTs) in patient assessment is not well defined. The purpose of this study was to identify local physician expectations of RTs for the application and interpretation of various assessment procedures. METHODS: A survey was developed that called for physicians to indicate on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = never, 2 = rarely, 3 = occasionally, 4 = often, and 5 = always) how important they perceive it is for RTs to be able to interpret or perform 20 commonly used patient assessment tests or procedures. The survey was mailed to 25 physicians who care for patients in the medical and surgical intensive care units at Loma Linda University Medical Center and the Jerry L Pettis Veterans Administration Memorial Medical Center. RESULTS: Twenty (80%) of the surveys were returned. The assessment procedures rated highest were: to assess lung sounds (4.8), to interpret arterial blood gas values (4.5), to interpret pulmonary function tests (4.4), to assess and interpret vital signs (4.4), and to interview patient to clarify symptoms (4.3). The procedures consistently rated low were: to interpret echocardiography (2.5), to assess abdomen (2.3), to interpret sleep studies (2.2), and to interpret electroencephalogram (1.7). A total expectation score for each completed survey was determined by adding the scores from each of the 20 assessment procedures. The average ± SD total score was 66.8 ± 10.4 on a scale of 20 to 100. The total expectation score did not vary by years of experience in patient care or type of medical specialty. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that the physicians completing our survey generally have high expectations of RTs for the application of patient assessment techniques that involve direct evaluation of lung performance or condition.