An expanded delivery model for outpatient burn rehabilitation

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Burn Care
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Burn centers offer multidisciplinary services, but challenges in achieving optimal outcomes persist.
• Effective burn rehabilitation requires addressing barriers to patient recovery and reintegration.
• Standard outpatient care may not fully meet the complex needs of all burn survivors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of an expanded care coordinator (ECC) intervention in improving burn rehabilitation outcomes.
• To determine if supplementary ECC services can overcome barriers to effective patient recovery.
• To compare outcomes between patients receiving standard care and those receiving additional ECC support.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial compared standard outpatient care with an ECC intervention.
• The ECC provided telephone support, coordinated local services, and assisted with goal setting.
• Outcome measures included goal attainment, health status, patient satisfaction, and return to work.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in outcomes were observed between the ECC and standard care groups at 6 or 12 months postburn.
• Patient and injury characteristics were similar between the groups.
• While all participants valued the goal-setting process, it may have influenced outcomes.

Conclusions:

• The ECC intervention, as implemented, did not demonstrate a significant benefit over standard care for burn rehabilitation outcomes.
• A subset of high-risk patients or those with severe injuries might benefit from more intensive, personalized services.
• Future research should explore individualized goal setting and identify patients most likely to benefit from enhanced support.