ABSTRACT
Objective：This study aimed to clarify the actual functions and issues associated with the work of a full-time prosthetist and orthotist while treating patients and users at a rehabilitation hospital.Methods：Using a database that recorded the work performed by the full-time prosthetist and orthotist, the details of the work performed over the course of a year were classified into eight categories and tabulated by stage and item.Results：A total of 1,300 responses were collected for the one-year study period, of which participation in replacement of consumables and damage repair, adjustment of conformity, and brace clinic conferences accounted for 54.0%. Ankle-foot orthosis was the most common response (59.2%), and was more frequently associated with the living phase (76.3%) than the recovery phase (46.5%). The response numbers for all items per prescription in the recovery phase were as follows：prosthetic legs, 11.1 times；ankle-foot orthoses, 3.7 times；and knee ankle-foot orthoses, 2.2 times. Thus, the responses for knee ankle-foot orthoses were less frequent than those for the other two.Conclusion：The maintenance of ankle-foot orthoses in the living phase and prosthetic legs in the recovery phase was well supported by a full-time prosthetist and orthotist. On the other hand, users of knee ankle-foot orthoses may have received less support.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: Approximately 30% of the patients who received intervention from a palliative care team for problematic symptoms (e.g., pain, nausea, depression) also underwent rehabilitation at our acute hospital. We investigated their changes in activities of daily living (ADLs) and outcomes (i.e., death, changing hospitals, or being discharged to their homes). Method: We retrospectively analyzed the patients’ medical records data to examine patient training content, Barthel Index (B.I.) scores, and outcomes. Results: For one year, 86 patients received rehabilitation and 42 (48%) underwent anticancer therapy. B.I. scores increased for 35% of the patients, were stable for 20%, and decreased for 45%; 95% of the patients with decreased B.I. scores could not be discharged home. Conclusion: Advanced cancer patients are likely to experience a decline in ADLs and require longer rehabilitation periods to improve. A team approach is important for preventing disuse syndromes within a palliative care setting.
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study is to investigate stroke patients in a convalescent rehabilitation ward of an acute stroke center. We collected data on 314 stroke patients discharged from the convalescent rehabilitation ward between January 2004 and December 2005. In total, 108 patients were classified as our regional inter-hospital referral model group. Alternately, 206 patients were classified as our intra-hospital referral model group. The regional inter-hospital referral model group took a longer time for transferring and discharging as compared with the intra-hospital referral model group. There was a significant difference in the days between onset of stroke and transfer, and the days between onset of stroke and discharge returned home. In conclusion, we should have a better opinion of the intra-hospital referral model in order to improve the quality of rehabilitation medicine.
ABSTRACT
Clinical instruction is a important component of nursing and allied health education. We aimed to identify clinical teaching behaviors considered by three different groups of clinical instructors to be most important for facilitating learning. The survey tool used contained 73 items, each of which described a clinical-instructor behavior. The participants were 230 clinical instructors (107 nursing instructors, 66 physical therapy instructors, and 57 occupational therapy instructors) who were asked to rate the importance of each item on a five-point scale. Using factor analysis, 10 factors were measured: “teaching ability:clear”, “teaching ability:level”, “teaching ability: enhancement of thinking”, “regulation of psychological environment in clinical learning”, “provide learners with opportunities to practice”, “fairness”, “role model as professional”, “accessibility”, “recognition of individual differences”, and “supervise”. The clinical teaching behaviors rated as most important included “fairness”, “role model as professional”, and “recognition of individual differences”.