Integration of PM&R Consultation Services at a Level 1 Trauma Center

Trauma patients often require the expertise of physiatrists to optimize their functional outcome. Physiatrists, with their interdisciplinary approach to patient care, help to minimize complications, maximize functional outcomes, and foster efficient care following traumatic injuries. This chapter reviews the crucial role of physiatrists in a Level 1 trauma center setting to identify appropriate rehabilitation interventions that efficiently progress a patient through the continuum of care. Specifically, this chapter reviews the multiple initiatives implemented to meet the unique rehabilitation needs of trauma patients at UChicago Medicine and proposes future directions to foster optimal functional outcomes.