The SCIRehab project: analyzing multidisciplinary inpatient spinal cord injury rehabilitation treatment — second phase

The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, 2011 · DOI: 10.1179/107902611X12971826987977 · Published: January 1, 2011

Spinal Cord Injury Healthcare Rehabilitation

Simple Explanation

The SCIRehab Project aims to determine which interventions in spinal cord injury (SCI) inpatient rehabilitation lead to the best outcomes one year after injury, considering patient and injury characteristics. The first phase focused on creating treatment classifications for each rehabilitation discipline and setting up an electronic system to record treatment details. The second phase analyzes treatment data collected via the electronic system, medical records, and patient interviews, covering various rehabilitation disciplines.

Study Duration

1 year

Participants

600 patients with SCI

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
The study included 141,938 treatment sessions, totaling 107,804 hours of therapy and education.
2
There is substantial variation in the amount and type of treatment received across the patient sample.
3
Patient and injury characteristics are predictive of treatment time to some degree, as shown by regression analyses.

Research Summary

The SCIRehab Project documents in detail the processes involved in SCI rehabilitation. The study found substantial variability in treatment patterns, suggesting a lack of a single standard of care. The variation in treatment patterns bodes well for practice-based evidence methodology, aiming to link treatment elements to outcomes.

Practical Implications

Resource Planning

The treatment time data presented may be useful in resource planning and development for SCI rehabilitation programs.

Practice Variation

The substantial variability in treatment patterns found calls into question the existence of a single standard of care in SCI rehabilitation.

Future Research

A comprehensive examination of the relationships among treatment patterns and outcomes will be the focus of the third and final phase of the SCIRehab Project.

Study Limitations

1
The variation in treatment is not well explained by differences in patient and injury characteristics.
2
The study focuses on inpatient rehabilitation, limiting generalizability to other settings.
3
The data only covers the interventions received by patients enrolled during the first year of the SCIRehab Project.

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