title: The quota system in burn rehabilitation.
abstract: This article describes the quota system as a treatment for the helplessness behaviors and depressive symptoms that develop in some patients with burn injuries. With an A-B single-case design, the quota system was implemented for a patient who had sustained a particularly severe burn injury. A series of baseline behaviors were measured for 3 days, and then 80% of the patient's average performance on each of the targeted behaviors was computed and used as the initial quota value. The behavioral quotas were increased systematically and gradually by approximately 5% to 10% every day. The results suggest that the quota system may have been effective in decreasing an overall trend toward passivity, in increasing 3 of 4 targeted rehabilitation behaviors, and in reducing depressive symptoms in a patient with a particularly devastating injury.
authors.affiliation: University of Washington Burn Center, Seattle 98104, USA.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Ehde
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Patterson
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Fordyce
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002058:Burns, Electric / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003863:Depression / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006380:Helplessness, Learned; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010358:Patient Participation; D013315:Stress, Psychological