Measuring rehabilitation outcomes

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Heinemann, Allen W.

Affiliations: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University Medical School, and Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, 345 East Superior Street, Chicago, IL 60611-3015, USA. Tel.: +1 312 238 2802; Fax: +1 312 138 2383; E-mail: a-heinemann@nwu.edu

Abstract: This report describes the methods used to develop measures of discipline-specific rehabilitation goals. Occupational, physical, speech and recreation therapists reported goals as well as admission and discharge ratings, while psychologists, social workers, and chaplains reported extent of goal attainment for 314 patients treated at seven inpatient programs. Functional status measures with adequate psychometric properties were developed for occupational, physical, speech and recreation therapists using rating scale analysis [1]. While the items developed for use by psychologists, social workers and chaplains did not span a sufficient range of goal attainment for the sample, the hierarchies of goal attainment provide ideas about how the item sets could be expanded. Gains from admission to discharge are reported separately for patients with primary impairments of stroke, spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury, along with correlations among the discipline-specific measures and Functional Independence Measure components. The results help focus attention on the specific contributions of various disciplines and the likelihood of attaining goals.

DOI: 10.3233/TAD-2000-122-309

Journal: Technology and Disability, vol. 12, no. 2-3, pp. 129-143, 2000