Promoting Community Health and Eliminating Health Disparities Through Community-Based Participatory Research.

In physical therapy, there is increasing focus on the need at the community level to promote health, eliminate disparities in health status, and ameliorate risk factors among underserved minorities. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is the most promising paradigm for pursuing these goals. Community-based participatory research stresses equitable partnering of the community and investigators in light of local social, structural, and cultural elements. Throughout the research process, the CBPR model emphasizes coalition and team building that joins partners with diverse skills/expertise, knowledge, and sensitivities. This article presents core concepts and principles of CBPR and the rationale for its application in the management of health issues at the community level. Community-based participatory research is now commonly used to address public health issues. A literature review identified limited reports of its use in physical therapy research and services. A published study is used to illustrate features of CBPR for physical therapy. The purpose of this article is to promote an understanding of how physical therapists could use CBPR as a promising way to advance the profession's goals of community health and elimination of health care disparities, and social responsibility. Funding opportunities for the support of CBPR are noted.

Functional outcomes of adult patients with West Nile virus admitted to a rehabilitation hospital.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The clinical manifestation of West Nile Virus (WNV) varies in individuals from mild flu-like symptoms to acute flaccid paralysis. Advanced age is the most significant risk factor for developing severe neurological disease and for death. The broad range of neurologic symptoms associated with WNV infection leads to varied body structure and function limitations and participation restrictions that may require rehabilitation. The purpose of this study is to describe the functional impairments upon admission and the functional outcomes at discharge of 48 adult patients admitted with WNV to a rehabilitation facility in the Midwest from 2002 to 2009. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was completed on 48 patients (29 male, 19 female) with mean age 67.8 (SD = 16.6, range = 24-91) years and median age 72.5 years, admitted to inpatient rehabilitation with a diagnosis of WNV after January 1, 2002, and discharged prior to December 31, 2009. General information (sex, age, social history, employment, and living environment), past medical history, and information specific to the current hospitalization (medical conditions, functional status and activity level on admission and discharge as measured by the Functional Independence Measure [FIM], lengths of stay [LOSs] in the acute care and rehabilitation hospital, physical therapy care, discharge destination, and follow-up care provisions) were gathered. The standardized response mean (SRM) was calculated for total, motor, and cognitive FIM scores to provide insight into the effect size and the responsiveness of the FIM for the patients with WNV in this study. RESULTS: All patients were admitted to the rehabilitation hospital from acute care hospitals following LOSs ranging from 1 to 62 days. The rehabilitation hospital LOS ranged from 2 to 304 days. These patients had significant comorbidities including hypertension (43.75%), diabetes mellitus (41.67%), acute respiratory failure (37.5%), ventilator dependency/tracheostomy (33.33%), and pneumonia (29.17%). Their admission FIM scores ranged from 13 to 116 (mean = 45.8 ± 28.2) and discharge FIM scores ranged from 18 to 121 (mean = 75.1 ± 34.2). The change in FIM during inpatient rehabilitation was statistically significant (P < .001). The calculated SRM for the total (1.06) and motor (1.12) FIM indicate a large effect size, whereas the SRM for the cognitive FIM (0.79) indicates a moderate effect. The majority of patients were discharged home or to a nursing facility (46%), skilled or extended care (38%) with a need for continued rehabilitation services. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The manifestation of the WNV and functional outcomes after comprehensive rehabilitation vary from patient to patient. Higher numbers of comorbid conditions lead to more complex presentation and challenge rehabilitation professionals to design individualized plans of care to enable these patients to achieve the highest functional outcomes. Most patients require follow-up physical therapy care after discharge from rehabilitation.

Functional outcomes of patients with sternectomy after cardiothoracic surgery: a case series.

PURPOSE: One potential complication after cardiothoracic surgery involves mediastinitis, which may lead to a sternectomy. A sternectomy involves partial or total debridement of the sternum to remove infected bone. Little evidence regarding functional outcomes following sternectomy exists in literature. The purpose of this case series is to report the demographics of 6 patients admitted to a long term acute care hospital (LTACH) treated for sternectomy after open heart surgery, along with presenting length of stay (LOS) data, analyzing functional outcomes, and describing the physical therapy (PT) interventions used with these patients to obtain the reported functional outcomes. METHODS: Medical charts were reviewed retrospectively. Information in four main areas were extrapolated from the chart and further analyzed: patient demographics, length of hospital stay (acute care and LTACH), admission and discharge FIM scores, and information about the PT interventions (both numerical and descriptive). RESULTS: Patients included 5 males and 1 female with an age range of 65-78 years old (mean 70 years old, SD 4.8 years). Patients had a total mean acute care LOS of 26.33 (12.26) days and total mean LTACH LOS of 27.67 (11.74) days. Median total FIM score at admission was 80.00 [range 58.00-94.00], while the median total FIM score at discharge increased significantly to 106.50 [range 86.00-116.00] (p = 0.031). Total mean FIM score change during LTACH stay (efficiency) was 25.17 (3.25), and FIM score change per day (efficacy) was 1.23 (0.46). Median motor score had a significant increase from admission to discharge (p = 0.031). Median cognitive score did not significantly change from admission to discharge (p = 0.125). PT interventions used with this patient population were presented and described, with a mean number of PT sessions in LTACH of 27.33 (15.38) (range = 10-46). CONCLUSION: Although patients required an increased acute care LOS and an additional stay on LTACH, all 6 patients were discharged home following a course of multi-disciplinary inpatient rehabilitation on a LTACH unit. Patients are able to make significant functional gains during rehabilitation following sternectomy, as evidenced by increases in FIM score.