Evidence-based position paper on the professional practice of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine for persons with cerebral palsy. The European PRM position (UEMS PRM section).

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of the most common developmental disorders affecting movement and posture of the body, causing activity limitations and participation restrictions. The motor disorders of persons with CP are often accompanied by disturbances of sensation, cognition, communication and perception. The symptoms of CP are very diverse and persons with CP are usually presented with a mixed type of symptoms.

Decompressive craniectomy of post-traumatic brain injury: an in silico modelling approach for intracranial hypertension management.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes brain edema that induces increased intracranial pressure and decreased cerebral perfusion. Decompressive craniectomy has been recommended as a surgical procedure for the management of swollen brain and intracranial hypertension. Proper location and size of a decompressive craniectomy, however, remain controversial and no clinical guidelines are available.

Up to 2.2 million people experiencing disability suffer collateral damage each day of COVID-19 lockdown in Europe.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is having a great impact on health services. Patients not receiving care due to closure of outpatient services suffer a collateral damage. Our aim was to provide first data on impact of COVID-19 on people experiencing disability in Europe.

Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibition Ameliorates Inflammation and Experimental Pulmonary Hypertension.

Inflammation and vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) phenotypic switching are causally linked to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) pathogenesis. Carbonic anhydrase inhibition induces mild metabolic acidosis and exerts protective effects in hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. Carbonic anhydrases and metabolic acidosis are further known to modulate immune cell activation.

European Framework of Rehabilitation Services Types: the perspective of the Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Section and Board of the European Union of Medical Specialists.

Background: Effectiveness in health services is achieved if desired clinical outcomes are reached. In rehabilitation the relevant clinical outcome is functioning, with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as the reference system for the standardized reporting of functioning outcomes. To foster the implementation of the ICF in clinical quality management (CQM) across the rehabilitation services continuum, the UEMS-PRM Section and Board approved an ICF implementation action plan that includes the identification of types of currently provided rehabilitation services in Europe.

Evidence-based position paper on Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine professional practice for Adults with Acquired Brain Injury. The European PRM position (UEMS PRM Section).

Background: Acquired brain injury (ABI) is damage to the brain that occurs after birth caused either by a traumatic or by a nontraumatic injury. The rehabilitation process following ABI should be performed by a multi-professional team, working in an interdisciplinary way, with the aim of organizing a comprehensive and holistic approach to persons with every severity of ABI. This Evidence Based Position Paper represents the official position of the European Union through the UEMS Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) Section and designates the professional role of PRM physicians for people with ABI.

Evidence-based position paper on Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine professional practice for persons with stroke. The European PRM position (UEMS PRM Section).

Background: Stroke is a major cause of disability worldwide, with an expected rise of global burden in the next twenty years throughout Europe. This EBPP represents the official position of the European Union through the UEMS Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) Section and designates the professional role of PRM physicians for people with stroke. The aim of this study is to improve PRM physicians' professional practice for persons with stroke in order to promote their functioning and enhance quality of life.

Evidence-based position paper on Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine professional practice for persons with acute and chronic pain. The European PRM position (UEMS PRM Section).

Background: Pain is a frequent complaint from patients undergoing rehabilitation. It can be a major problem and can lead to several activity limitations and participation restrictions. For this reason, when the Professional Practice Committee (PPC) of the Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) Section of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) decided to prepare evidence-based practice position papers (EBPPs) on the most relevant fields of PRM, a paper on the role of the PRM specialist on pain conditions was also included.

Evidence-based position paper on Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) professional practice for persons with spinal cord injury. The European PRM position (UEMS PRM Section).

Introduction: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating condition and a challenge for every health system and every society. This EBPP represents the official position of the European Union through the UEMS PRM Section and designates the professional role of PRM physicians for people with SCI. The aim of the paper was to improve Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) physicians' professional practice for persons with SCI in order to improve their functionality, social and community reintegration, and to overcome activity limitations and/or participation restrictions.

Evidence-based position paper on Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) professional practice for people with cardiovascular conditions. The European PRM position (UEMS PRM Section).

Cardiovascular conditions are significant causes of mortality and morbidity leading to substantial disability. The aim of the paper is to improve Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) physicians' professional practice for people with cardiovascular conditions in order to promote their functioning and to reduce activity limitations and/or participation restrictions. A systematic review of the literature and a Consensus procedure by means of a Delphi process have been performed involving the delegates of all European countries represented in the UEMS PRM Section.

Evidence-based position paper on Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) professional practice for people with respiratory conditions. The European PRM position (UEMS PRM Section).

Chronic respiratory conditions are among the top causes of death and disability. The aim of the paper was to improve Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) physicians' professional practice for people with chronic respiratory conditions in order to promote their functioning and to reduce activity limitations and/or participation restrictions. A systematic review of the literature and a Consensus procedure by means of a Delphi process have been performed involving the delegates of all European countries represented in the UEMS PRM Section.

Evidence based position paper on Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) professional practice for ageing people with disabilities. The European PRM position (UEMS PRM Section).

Ageing people with disabilities (APwDs) are faced with challenges of ageing which is straightforwardly related to disability that adds to the burden related to their early-onset disability. The aim of the paper is to improve Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) physicians' professional practice for APwDs (as a distinct group from those who are disabled due to the ageing process) in order to promote their functioning properties and to reduce activity limitations and/or participation restrictions. A systematic review of the literature and a Consensus procedure by means of a Delphi process have been performed involving the delegates of all European countries represented in the UEMS PRM Section.

Evidence-based position paper on Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) professional practice for people with obesity and related comorbidities. The European PRM position (UEMS PRM Section).

Introduction: The WHO world health statistics report in 2015 shows that in Europe the overall obesity rate among adults is 21.5% in males and 24.5% in females.

Practice, science and governance in interaction: European effort for the system-wide implementation of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine.

Since its launch in 2001, relevant international, regional and national PRM bodies have aimed to implement the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM), whereby contributing to the development of suitable practical tools. These tools are available for implementing the ICF in day-to-day clinical practice, standardized reporting of functioning outcomes in quality management and research, and guiding evidence-informed policy. Educational efforts have reinforced PRM physicians' and other rehabilitation professionals' ICF knowledge, and numerous implementation projects have explored how the ICF is applied in clinical practice, research and policy.

Education of physical and rehabilitation medicine specialists across Europe: a call for harmonization.

Background: Physical and rehabilitation medicine (PRM) is well established in Europe and officially recognized by the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS). The European PRM Board works to promote patient safety and quality of care through the development of the highest standards of medical training and healthcare across Europe as well as the harmonization of PRM specialists' qualifications. In its Action Plan for 2014-2018, the UEMS PRM Board has included the harmonization of the PRM curriculum among the EU countries, as one of its main goals.

Evidence based position paper on physical and rehabilitation medicine (PRM) practice for people with spinal deformities during growth. The European PRM position (UEMS PRM Section).

Introduction: Scoliosis and other spinal deformities involve 3-4% of the population during growth. Their so-called conservative treatment is in the field of competence of physical and rehabilitation medicine (PRM) physicians. This evidence based position paper represents the official position of the European Union through the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) - PRM Section.

Methodology of "Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine practice, Evidence Based Position Papers: the European position" produced by the UEMS-PRM Section.

Since 2009 the Professional Practice Committee of the Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) Section of the European Union (EU) of Medical Specialists (UEMS) is producing Position Papers (PPs) on the role of PRM physicians for patients with different health conditions or related topics of PRM Interest. These PPs represent the Official Position of the EU in the specific field. Until now, sixteen papers have been produced, recently collected in an e-book.

A position paper on Physical & Rehabilitation Medicine programmes in post-acute settings. Union of European Medical Specialists Section of Physical & Rehabilitation Medicine (in conjunction with the European Society of Physical & Rehabilitation Medicine).

Physical & Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) programmes in post-acute settings cover interventions for the rehabilitation of people with a variety of disabling health conditions. The setting of the intervention is more important than the timing and these programmes can be carried out in a variety of facilities. This paper describes the role of PRM services and of PRM specialists in delivering rehabilitation programmes to people, who have initially been admitted to hospital.

Interdisciplinary team working in physical and rehabilitation medicine.

Effective team working plays a crucial role in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM). As part of its role of optimizing and harmonizing clinical practice across Europe, the Professional Practice Committee of Union of European Medical Specialists (UEMS) Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) Section reviewed patterns of team working and debated recommendations for good practice at a meeting of national UEMS delegates held in Riga, Latvia, in September 2008. This consensus statement is derived from that discussion and from a review of the literature concerning team working.