Increasing the dose of acute rehabilitation: is there a benefit?
Rehabilitation interventions, including physiotherapy and occupational therapy, can improve patient outcomes; however, the optimal duration and frequency of inpatient rehabilitation interventions is uncertain. In a recent randomized controlled trial published in BMC Medicine, 996 patients in two publicly-funded Australian metropolitan rehabilitation facilities were assigned to physiotherapy and occupational therapy delivered Monday through Friday (five days/week control group) versus Monday through Saturday (six days/week intervention group). This increased dose of rehabilitation in the intervention group resulted in greater functional independence and quality of life at discharge, with a trend towards significant improvement at six-month follow-up. Moreover, the length of stay for the intervention group was shorter by two days (95% CI 0 to 4, P = 0.10). Hence, in the acute inpatient rehabilitation setting, a larger dose of physiotherapy and occupational therapy, via six versus five days/week treatment, improves patient outcomes and potentially reduces overall length of stay and costs. Please see related research: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/11/198.
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1830 East Monument St,, 5th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. aparke36@jhu.edu.
Ann M
AM
Parker
Robert K
RK
Lord
Dale M
DM
Needham
D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012046:Rehabilitation / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology*