Article

Inpatient rehabilitation for spinal cord injury (SCI) includes the
use of both individual and group physical therapy sessions. A greater
understanding of group physical therapy use will help in the evaluation of the
appropriateness of its use and contribute to the development of standards of
practice. This report describes the extent to which group physical
therapy is being used in inpatient rehabilitation for SCI, identifies group
physical therapy interventions being delivered, and examines patterns in the
types of activities being used for people with different levels and completeness
of injury (ie, injury groups). DESIGN: The SCIRehab Study is a 5-year,
multicenter investigation that uses practice-based evidence research methodology.
METHODS: Data on characteristics of participants and treatments provided were
collected through detailed chart review and customized research documentation
completed by clinicians at the point of care. The analyses described here
included data from 600 participants enrolled during the first year of the
project. RESULTS: Most of the participants (549/600) spent time in group physical
therapy, and 23% of all documented physical therapy time was spent in group
sessions. The most common group physical therapy activities were strengthening,
manual wheelchair mobility, gait training, endurance activities, and range of
motion/stretching. Time spent in group physical therapy and the nature of
activities performed varied among the injury groups. LIMITATIONS: Physical
therapy use patterns observed in the 6 participating centers may not represent
all facilities providing inpatient rehabilitation for SCI. Research documentation
did not include all factors that may affect group physical therapy use, and some
sessions were not documented. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of physical therapy was
provided in individual sessions, but group physical therapy contributed
significantly to total physical therapy time. Group physical therapy time and
activities differed among the injury groups in patterns consistent with clinical
goals.

Langue : ANGLAIS