Life Space Assessment in Spinal Cord Injury.

To examine the Life Space Assessment (LSA) in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI), exploring its psychometric properties, differences between persons with cervical versus thoracolumbar injuries, and cutoff score differentiating a restricted from an unrestricted life space. : We conducted a test-retest reliability study in a community setting involving 50 persons with SCI (25 injured above C7, 25 injured below T1). Data were collected in 2 phone interviews approximately 9 days apart using the LSA.

Nurse practitioners in medical rehabilitation settings: a description of practice roles and patterns.

Purpose: To describe nurse practitioner (NP) roles in medical rehabilitation settings.

Data Source: Description of practice by rehabilitation NPs and physicians.

Conclusions: NPs increasingly function in medical rehabilitation settings as independent or collaborative care providers.

Long-term effects of safe patient handling program on staff injuries.

Purpose: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a safe patient handling program (STEPS) at an inpatient rehabilitation unit in reducing injury due to patient transfers. Our objectives were to compare number of staff injuries during the 1.5-year period post training to pre training (baseline) and to determine whether reduction in injuries was sustained long term during a 2.

Assessment and evaluation of primary prevention in spinal cord injury.

Although the incidence of spinal cord injury (SCI) is low, the consequences of this disabling condition are extremely significant for the individual, family, and the community. Sequelae occur in the physical, psychosocial, sexual, and financial arenas, making global prevention of SCI crucial. Understanding how to assess and evaluate primary prevention programs is an important competency for SCI professionals.

New approaches to neurorehabilitiation: the increasing evidence base.

Recent advances in neuroscience have led to newer, more scientific approaches to rehabilitation for patients who have had a stroke or sustained a brain or spinal cord injury. Specifically, the pendulum in rehabilitation has swung away from a focus on compensatory techniques and toward impairment-mitigating therapies. In addition, there is a new push to base therapies on scientific evidence.

Association of disturbances in the thoracic outlet in subjects with carpal tunnel syndrome: a case-control study.

Introduction: A limited amount of research has investigated the potential relationship between carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and thoracic outlet dysfunction.

Purpose Of The Study: To compare the prevalence of positive clinical tests suggestive of disputed neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) in subjects with CTS (CTS+) with that of subjects without CTS (control).

Study Design: Case-control study.

Measuring perceived difficulty in post-acute brain injury rehabilitation: The Sister Kenny Symptom Management Scale.

Primary Objective: Patients' perceptions of difficulty managing symptoms contribute to disability after brain injury. This study introduces the Sister Kenny Symptom Management Scale (KSMS) and reports on its factor structure, reliability, validity and clinical value.

Method: Archived data from (overlapping) samples of patients with brain injuries of mixed aetiologies, seen at an outpatient clinic over 16 years were used in development and validation studies of the KSMS.

Clinical quality measures for electrodiagnosis in suspected carpal tunnel syndrome.

Extensive research has documented that medical care in the United States is not of optimal quality, meaning that well-established care processes are not consistently provided to the patients who would benefit from them. To assess and improve quality of care, specific measures are needed. The objective of this study was to develop quality measures for electrodiagnostic testing in suspected carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).

A robotic home telehealth platform system for treatment adherence, social assistance and companionship - an overview.

Well-known difficulties of making patients adhere to assigned treatments have made engineers and clinicians look towards technology for possible solutions. Recent studies have found that cell phone-based text messaging can help drive positive changes in patients' disease management and preventive health behavior. Furthermore, work in the area of assistive robotics indicates benefits for patients although robotic solutions tend to become expensive.

A rehabilitation tool for functional balance using altered gravity and virtual reality.

Background: There is a need for effective and early functional rehabilitation of patients with gait and balance problems including those with spinal cord injury, neurological diseases and recovering from hip fractures, a common consequence of falls especially in the elderly population. Gait training in these patients using partial body weight support (BWS) on a treadmill, a technique that involves unloading the subject through a harness, improves walking better than training with full weight bearing. One problem with this technique not commonly acknowledged is that the harness provides external support that essentially eliminates associated postural adjustments (APAs) required for independent gait.

Telerehabilitation consultations for clients with neurologic diagnoses: cases from rural Minnesota and American Samoa.

Telerehabilitation is the provision of rehabilitation services at a distance using electronic information and communication technologies. This paper describes two clinical programs that utilize videoconferencing to provide rehabilitation specialist consultations to individuals living in remote areas. Needs assessments for the two areas revealed that local clinicians were interested in access to specialty consultation.