Participation readiness at discharge from inpatient rehabilitation in children and adolescents with acquired brain injuries.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the extent of readiness for participation in home, school and community life at discharge from inpatient rehabilitation and selected factors associated with participation readiness in children and adolescents with acquired brain injuries.


METHODS
Staff from eight sites used retrospective review to complete a prototype clinical performance measure on up to 10 of their most recent discharges. Data were obtained on 65 children and adolescents, aged 6 months to 18 years (X = 9.5 years). The extent of participation readiness was analysed descriptively. Associations between selected variables and participation readiness were examined using correlation and multiple regression analyses.


RESULTS
Only 3-27% of the children were deemed ready for age-expected participation at discharge in 15 domains of home, school and community life. Social behavioural activity performance at discharge explained 74% of the variance associated with participation readiness at discharge.


CONCLUSIONS
The low percentage of children deemed ready for age-expected participation has implications for post-discharge programming, since 82% of the children were discharged home. Participation readiness may not be an easily achievable goal or may not be fully addressed during inpatient rehabilitation. Preliminary findings suggest that social-behavioural activity performance is a key variable to be considered in efforts to promote participation readiness.
Bedell
Gary M
GM
Center for Rehabilitation Effectiveness, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA. gbedell@bu.edu
Haley
Stephen M
SM
Coster
Wendy J
WJ
Smith
Kevin W
KW
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002648:Child; D019988:Children with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010351:Patient Discharge; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D012919:Social Behavior