RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: This study was a retrospective chart analysis spanning 5 yr that investigated associations between occupational therapy interventions and goal-based positive outcomes in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and related disorders at discharge in an urban inpatient rehabilitation setting. METHOD: Using descriptive statistics, we examined demographic characteristics in the first analysis phase. In the second phase, we performed a series of correlational analyses to identify treatment variables associated with positive outcomes. RESULTS: Generally, patients improved in their FIM scores at discharge. Increasing occupational therapy intensity had a positive effect on functional performance in all categories except feeding, with significant correlations in upper-extremity dressing (r = .153, p < .05) and memory (r = .204, p < .01). CONCLUSION: Occupational therapy was associated with positive functional outcomes for patients with MS. Future treatment protocols should include cognitive skills training, community reintegration, and self-care, because these treatments were found to be significantly correlated with positive changes in FIM scores.
