Defining and Measuring Preclinical Mobility Limitation: An Expert Consensus Exercise Informed by a Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Early change in function in older adults has been termed preclinical disability (PCD). PCD has been understudied compared to other stages of disability because it is unlikely to receive comparative priority in clinical settings. It has major implications for prevention and population health as it may be the optimal time to intervene to prevent further decline. A standardized approach to research in PCD, including a common definition and measurement approaches, is needed to advance this work. METHODS: The process to establish how PCD should be defined and measured was undertaken in 2 stages: (1) a scoping review of the literature, which was used to inform (2) a web-enabled consensus meeting with content experts. RESULTS: The scoping review and the consensus meeting support the use of the term preclinical mobility limitation (PCML) and that it should be measured using both patient-reported and performance-based measures. It was agreed that the definition of PCML should include modification of frequency and/or method of task completion, without overt disability, and that requisite mobility tasks include walking (distance and speed), stairs, and transfers. CONCLUSIONS: Currently, there are few standardized assessments that can identify PCML. PCML is the term that most clearly describes the stage where people experience a change in routine mobility tasks, without a perception of disability. Further evaluation into the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of outcome measures is needed to advance research on PCML.

Using a Web-Based App to Deliver Rehabilitation Strategies to Persons With Chronic Conditions: Development and Usability Study.

BACKGROUND: The global rise in the incidence of chronic conditions and aging is associated with increased disability. Physiotherapists and occupational therapists can mitigate the resulting burden on the health care system with their expertise in optimizing function. Rehabilitation self-management strategies can assist people with chronic conditions to accept, adjust, and manage different aspects of their daily functioning. Interventions delivered using technology have the potential to increase the accessibility, availability, and affordability of rehabilitation self-management support and services. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to describe the development and usability evaluation of iamable, a web-based app created to provide rehabilitation self-management support for people with chronic conditions. METHODS: The development and evaluation of iamable were undertaken in several phases. We used user-centered design principles and an iterative process that included consultations with rehabilitation experts; developed a prototype; and conducted usability tests, heuristic evaluations, and a focus group analysis. RESULTS: The iamable app was developed to provide rehabilitation self-management strategies in the areas of exercise, fall prevention, fatigue management, pain management, physical activity, and stress management. We engaged adults aged ≥45 years with at least one chronic condition (N=11) in usability testing. They identified navigation and the understanding of instructions as the primary issues for end users. During the heuristic evaluation, clinicians (N=6) recommended that some areas of app content should be more succinct and that help should be more readily available. The focus group provided input to help guide clinical simulation testing, including strategies for selecting patients and overcoming barriers to implementation. CONCLUSIONS: We engaged end users and clinicians in the development and evaluation of the iamable app in an effort to create a web-based tool that was useful to therapists and their patients. By addressing usability issues, we were able to ensure that patients had access to rehabilitation strategies that could be used to help them better manage their health. Our app also provides therapists with a platform that they can trust to empower their patients to be more active in the management of chronic conditions. This paper provides a resource that can be used by others to develop and evaluate web-based health apps.

Self-management interventions for chronic disease: a systematic scoping review.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the contributions of physiotherapy and occupational therapy to self-management interventions and the theoretical models used to support these interventions in chronic disease. DATA SOURCES: We conducted two literature searches to identify studies that evaluated self-management interventions involving physiotherapists and occupational therapists in MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, EMBASE, AMED (Allied and Complementary Medicine), SPORTdiscus, and REHABDATA databases. STUDY SELECTION: Four investigator pairs screened article title and abstract, then full text with inclusion criteria. Selected articles (n = 57) included adults who received a chronic disease self-management intervention, developed or delivered by a physiotherapist and/or an occupational therapist compared with a control group. DATA EXTRACTION: Four pairs of investigators performed independent reviews of each article and data extraction included: (a) participant characteristics, (b) the self-management intervention, (c) the comparison intervention, (d) outcome measures, construct measured and results. DATA SYNTHESIS: A total of 47 articles reported the involvement of physiotherapy in self-management compared with 10 occupational therapy articles. The type of chronic condition produced different yields: arthritis n = 21 articles; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic pain n = 9 articles each. The theoretical frameworks most frequently cited were social cognitive theory and self-efficacy theory. Physical activity was the predominant focus of the self-management interventions. Physiotherapy programmes included disease-specific education, fatigue, posture, and pain management, while occupational therapists concentrated on joint protection, fatigue, and stress management. CONCLUSIONS: Physiotherapists and occupational therapists make moderate contributions to self-management interventions. Most of these interventions are disease-specific and are most frequently based on the principles of behaviour change theories.

Physical therapy management for adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery: a canadian practice survey.

PURPOSE: To determine current Canadian physical therapy practice for adult patients requiring routine care following cardiac surgery. METHODS: A telephone survey was conducted of a selected sample (n=18) of Canadian hospitals performing cardiac surgery to determine cardiorespiratory care, mobility, exercises, and education provided to patients undergoing cardiac surgery. RESULTS: An average of 21 cardiac surgeries per week (range: 6-42) were performed, with an average length of stay of 6.4 days (range: 4.0-10.6). Patients were seen preoperatively at 7 of 18 sites and on postoperative day 1 (POD-1) at 16 of 18 sites. On POD-1, 16 sites performed deep breathing and coughing, 7 used incentive spirometers, 13 did upper-extremity exercises, and 12 did lower-extremity exercises. Nine sites provided cardiorespiratory treatment on POD-3. On POD-1, patients were dangled at 17 sites and mobilized out of bed at 13. By POD-3, patients ambulated 50-120 m per session 2-5 times per day. Sternal precautions were variable, but the lifting limit was reported as ranging between 5 lb and 10 lb. CONCLUSIONS: Canadian physical therapists reported the provision of cardiorespiratory treatment after POD-1. According to current available evidence, this level of care may be unnecessary for uncomplicated patients following cardiac surgery. In addition, some sites provide cardiorespiratory treatment techniques that are not supported by evidence in the literature. Further research is required.