Cost-effectiveness of an integrated 'fast track' rehabilitation service for multi-trauma patients involving dedicated early rehabilitation intervention programs: design of a prospective, multi-centre, non-randomised clinical trial

Contains fulltext : 79649.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: In conventional multi-trauma care service (CTCS), patients are admitted to hospital via the accident & emergency room. After surgery they are transferred to the IC-unit followed by the general surgery ward. Ensuing treatment takes place in a hospital's outpatient clinic, a rehabilitation centre, a nursing home or the community. Typically, each of the CTCS partners may have its own more or less autonomous treatment perspective. Clinical evidence, however, suggests that an integrated multi-trauma rehabilitation approach ('Supported Fast-track multi-Trauma Rehabilitation Service': SFTRS), featuring: 1) earlier transfer to a specialised trauma rehabilitation unit; 2) earlier start of 'non-weight-bearing' training and multidisciplinary treatment; 3) well-documented treatment protocols; 4) early individual goal-setting; 5) co-ordination of treatment between trauma surgeon and physiatrist, and 6) shorter lengths-of-stay, may be more (cost-)effective.This paper describes the design of a prospective cohort study evaluating the (cost-) effectiveness of SFTRS relative to CTCS. METHODS/DESIGN: The study population includes multi-trauma patients, admitted to one of the participating hospitals, with an Injury Severity Scale score > = 16, complex multiple injuries in several extremities or complex pelvic and/or acetabulum fractures. In a prospective cohort study CTCS and SFTRS will be contrasted. The inclusion period is 19 months. The duration of follow-up is 12 months, with measurements taken at baseline, and at 3,6,9 and 12 months post-injury.Primary outcome measures are 'quality of life' (SF-36) and 'functional health status' (Functional Independence Measure). Secondary outcome measures are the Hospital Anxiety & Depression Scale, the Mini-Mental State Examination as an indicator of cognitive functioning, and the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure measuring the extent to which individual ADL treatment goals are met. Costs will be assessed using the PROductivity and DISease Questionnaire and a cost questionnaire. DISCUSSION: The study will yield results on the efficiency of an adapted care service for multi-trauma patients (SFTRS) featuring earlier (and condensed) involvement of specialised rehabilitation treatment. Results will show whether improved SFTRS logistics, combined with shorter stays in hospital and rehabilitation clinic and specialised early rehabilitation training modules are more (cost-) effective, relative to CTCS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials register (ISRCTN68246661) and Netherlands Trial Register (NTR139)

Rehabilitation of stroke patients with apraxia: the role of additional cognitive and motor impairments.

PURPOSE: The present study investigated which additional cognitive and motor impairments were present in stroke patients with apraxia and which of these factors influenced the effects of treatment. METHOD: A group of 33 patients with apraxia were treated according to the guidelines of a therapy programme based on teaching patients strategies to compensate for the presence of apraxia. Patients were treated at occupational therapy departments in general hospitals, rehabilitation centres and nursing homes. The outcome of the strategy training was studied in a pre-post test design; measurements were conducted at baseline and after 12 weeks of therapy. The pretreatment scores of the patients with apraxia were compared to normscores and scores of a control group of patients without apraxia (n = 36) to investigate which impairments are present. The following variables were analysed in order to determine which factors influence outcome: additional neuropsychological deficits (comprehension of language, cognitive impairments due to dementia, neglect and short term memory), level of motor functioning, severity of apraxia and performance on activities of daily living (ADL), and some relevant patient characteristics (gender, age, type of stroke, time since stroke, and location of treatment). RESULTS: The results showed that the presence of apraxia is associated with the presence of additional cognitive and motor impairments. The successful outcome of strategy training was not negatively influenced by cognitive comorbidity. The outcome seemed to be more prominent in patients who were more severely impaired at the start of rehabilitation in terms of the degree of motor impairments, the severity of apraxia and the initial ADL dependence. The ADL observations, however, displayed a ceiling effect, which was taken into account in discussing the results. Demographic variables, especially age, did not predict the outcome of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that the effect of this training is stronger in more severely disabled patients. However, neither the presence of additional cognitive impairments nor the severity of motor problems nor old age should be an indication for refraining from treating apraxia.(aut.ref.

Rehabilitation of stroke patients with apraxia:the role of additional cognitive and motor impairments

Purpose : The present study investigated which additional cognitive and motor impairments were present in stroke patients with apraxia and which of these factors influenced the effects of treatment.Method: A group of 33 patients with apraxia were treated according to the guidelines of a therapy programme based on teaching patients strategies to compensate for the presence of apraxia. Patients were treated at occupational therapy departments in general hospitals, rehabilitation centres and nursing homes. The outcome of the strategy training was studied in a pre-post test design; measurements were conducted at baseline and after 12 weeks of therapy. The pretreatment scores of the patients with apraxia were compared to normscores and scores of a control group of patients without apraxia (n = 36) to investigate which impairments are present. The following variables were analysed in order to determine which factors influence outcome: additional neuropsychological deficits (comprehension of language, cognitive impairments due to dementia, neglect and short term memory), level of motor functioning, severity of apraxia and performance on activities of daily living (ADL), and some relevant patient characteristics (gender, age, type of stroke, time since stroke, and location of treatment).Results : The results showed that the presence of apraxia is associated with the presence of additional cognitive and motor impairments. The successful outcome of strategy training was not negatively influenced by cognitive comorbidity. The outcome seemed to be more prominent in patients who were more severely impaired at the start of rehabilitation in terms of the degree of motor impairments, the severity of apraxia and the initial ADL dependence. The ADL observations, however, displayed a ceiling effect, which was taken into account in discussing the results. Demographic variables, especially age, did not predict the outcome of treatment.Conclusions : We suggest that the effect of this training is stronger in more severely disabled patients. However, neither the presence of additional cognitive impairments nor the severity of motor problems nor old age should be an indication for refraining from treating apraxia.</p

A diagnostic test for apraxia in stroke patients: internal consistency and diagnostic value.

The internal consistency and the diagnostic value of a test for apraxia in patients having had a stroke are presented. Results indicate that the items of the test form a strong and consistent scale: Cronbach's alpha as well as the results of a Mokken scale analysis present good reliability and good scalability. The diagnostic value of the test was determined by comparison of test results in three groups of patients: 44 stroke patients with apraxia (patients), 35 stroke patients without apraxia (patient controls), and 50 healthy nursing home residents with no history of stroke (normal controls). The diagnostic value is expressed by means of the sensitivity and specificity and the predictive value of the test. In addition, Receiver Operator Characteristics (ROC) curves are presented. The sensitivity and specificity of the apraxia test appear to be good: all values are higher than 80%. The test also has high predictive value. The ROC curves illustrate that the test is sufficiently discriminative to allow a differentiation between persons with apraxia and persons without apraxia. (aut. ref.