SCIRehab Project series: the physical therapy taxonomy.
OBJECTIVE
Outcomes research is in need of a classification system of physical therapy (PT) interventions for acute traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation in the United States. The objective of this study was to describe a taxonomy (system to categorize and classify interventions) to examine the effects of PT interventions on rehabilitation outcomes.


METHODS
The SCIRehab study uses the rigorous observational practice-based evidence methodology to examine current treatment processes without changing existing practice. PT clinicians and researchers from 6 centers developed a taxonomy to describe details of each PT session.


RESULTS
The PT taxonomy consists of 19 treatment activities (eg, bed mobility, transfers, wheelchair mobility, strengthening and stretching exercises) and supplementary information to describe the associated therapeutic interventions. Details that focus on patient assistance needs and family involvement are included as additional descriptors to help to describe and justify PT activity selection. Time spent on each activity is used as the measure of intensity.


CONCLUSIONS
The detailed PT taxonomy documentation process, which offers efficiency in data collection, is being used for all PT sessions with 1,500 patients with acute traumatic SCI at the 6 participating centers. It might be the first attempt to document the many details of the PT rehabilitation process for patients with SCI in the United States.
Natale
Audrey
A
Craig Hospital, Englewood, Colorado, USA.
Taylor
Sally
S
LaBarbera
Jacqueline
J
Bensimon
Liron
L
McDowell
Shari
S
Mumma
Sherry L
SL
Backus
Deborah
D
Zanca
Jeanne M
JM
Gassaway
Julie
J
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D002965:Classification; D006801:Humans; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000145:classification*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000145:classification* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome