Occupational therapy care of rheumatic disease patients

The purpose of this evaluation was to determine if the level of independence achieved in self-care, home, and community skills at time of discharge from an inpatient occupational therapy program was maintained up to one year post-discharge. With the use of a structured interview form, a trained volunteer telephoned patients at three, six, and twelve months post-discharge. Of the 363 patients followed, 86% and 97% reported that they maintained or increased their levels of independence. This suggests that there was effective carryover of functional skills into the home and community.