Background- Outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has a serious impact on all health care facilities, and physical therapy is one of the most affected services as it affects staff workload. Objective- To carry out a scientific investigation about the impact of COVID-19 on physiotherapy workload. Methods- A retrospective study of the patient data of the same quarter (June-August) of 2019 and 2020 was carried out at the in-patient physiotherapy department of the Prince Sultan Military Medical City (PSMMC) and different medical subspecialties. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, demographic data were obtained: age, sex, referral source, location of the patient, and diagnosis. Results- Result shows a referral rate of 68.84% (12,557) in 2019, whereas the referral rate in 2020 declines, 31.16% (5,685). However, there was a rise in referral rates in the intensive care unit (ICU) from 8.24% in 2019 to 21.95% in 2020, and medical-surgical unit from 35.14% to 46.51%. Total referrals received in 2020 for COVID-19 positive cases were 6.17% (351). The highest referrals received were (38.69%) in the medical-surgical unit of the physiotherapy department, followed by the neurology unit (36.49%), ICU (12.51%), and orthopedic unit (12.31%) during the same quarter of 2019 and 2020. Conclusion- The study offers’ practice and policy implications. Health policymakers can apply the results to plan physiotherapy workload during the future COVID-19 pandemic.

Physiotherapy, COVID-19, Referrals, Subspecialties