The most important tasks for the department are assessment and treatment of patients, information to relatives, research and professional development as well as teaching and coaching of students and co-workers inside and outside of the hospital. The physiotherapists work closely with medical doctors, nurses and other staff in the hospital. On discharge of patients the physiotherapists co-operate with health personnel outside the hospital. The Bergen University College and the University of Bergen are both important collaborators for the Department of Physiotherapy with regards to education of physiotherapists.
The Department of Physiotherapy primarily treats in-patients, but also offers out-patient service to patients in the need of specialised treatment. Patients are treated both individually and in groups. They are treated in gyms, in the therapy pool or in patient rooms. Some patients are only seen by the PT one or a few times, while others receive physiotherapy over a long periode of time. The problem of each patient decides which kind of help or treatment modality is chosen, and the patients are encouraged to assist as much as possible in their own treatment.