title: Comparing content of therapy for people with a spinal cord injury in postacute inpatient rehabilitation in Australia, Norway, and The Netherlands.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Research reports have described the contents of therapy in spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation only as the total number of therapy hours. We developed the Spinal Cord Injury-Interventions Classification System (SCI-ICS) as a tool to classify therapy to improve mobility and self-care into 3 levels (body functions, basic activities, and complex activities) and 25 categories.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purposes of this study were: (1) to compare specific contents and amount of therapy provided, with the aim of improving mobility and self-care for people with SCI in Australia, Norway, and the Netherlands and (2) to evaluate the use of the SCI-ICS outside the Netherlands.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective, descriptive study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Physical therapists, occupational therapists, and sports therapists in 6 centers recorded all therapy provided to all people with a recent SCI in inpatient rehabilitation during 4 designated weeks. Each treatment session was classified using 1 or more SCI-ICS codes. Duration of each intervention was specified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-three therapists recorded 2,526 treatments of 79 people with SCI (Netherlands, 48; Australia, 20; Norway, 11). Most therapy time was spent on exercises (overall mean=84%) and on categories at body function and basic activity level of the SCI-ICS. Therapy time significantly differed among countries for 13 of 25 categories. Mean time in minutes per treatment (Netherlands, 28; Australia, 43; Norway, 39) and in hours per patient per week (Netherlands, 4.3; Australia, 5.8; Norway, 6.2) differed significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The short period and small number of patients may have influenced the results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Therapy in inpatient SCI rehabilitation in all 3 countries focused on mobility and self-care exercises at body function and basic activity level, but differences were present in focus on the various categories and therapy time. The SCI-ICS can be used reliably to describe therapy in different countries.
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Centre De Hoogstraat, Utrecht, the Netherlands. s.v.langeveld@dehoogstraat.nl
authors.forename: Sacha A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: van Langeveld
authors.forename: Marcel W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Post
authors.forename: Floris W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: van Asbeck
authors.forename: Mel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gregory
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Halvorsen
authors.forename: Hennie
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rijken
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leenders
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Postma
authors.forename: Eline
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lindeman
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D009426:Netherlands; D009664:Norway; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000145:classification*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012648:Self Care; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D055815:Young Adult