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Is "handicap" affected by a hospital based rehabilitation programme?
1Rehabilitation Studies Unit, University of Edinburgh, Princess Margaret Rose Hospital, Scotland.
Scandinavian Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine
|January 1, 1992
Summary
This study found that handicap categories can assess rehabilitation progress, showing significant improvements in physical independence and mobility. However, data collection challenges may limit practical application.
Area of Science:
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Disability Studies
- Health Outcomes Research
Background:
- Assessing patient progress during rehabilitation is crucial for program evaluation.
- The International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities, and Handicaps (ICIDH) provides a framework for categorizing functional limitations.
- The Smith Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Index is a common tool for measuring functional independence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of ICIDH handicap categories in assessing patients undergoing hospital-based rehabilitation.
- To correlate changes in handicap categories with improvements in Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scores.
- To determine the feasibility of using handicap categorizations for sequential assessment during rehabilitation.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of over 300 patients with diverse conditions (stroke, amputation, cardiac, low back pain) were assessed.
- Patients were evaluated using ICIDH handicap categories and the Smith ADL Index upon admission and after rehabilitation.
- Statistical analysis was performed to identify significant changes and correlations between handicap and ADL measures.
Main Results:
- Significant improvements were observed in Physical Independence and Mobility handicaps.
- These improvements in handicap categories correlated positively with enhanced ADL Self-care and ADL Mobility scores.
- Minor but significant gains were noted in Orientation, Occupation, and Social Integration handicaps, with no change in Economic Self Sufficiency.
Conclusions:
- ICIDH handicap categorizations show potential for sequential assessment of disabled individuals in rehabilitation settings.
- The observed correlations support the validity of handicap measures in reflecting functional gains.
- Significant challenges in data collection may impede the widespread practical application of these handicap categorizations in routine rehabilitation assessment.