Single-case experimental designs to assess intervention effectiveness in rehabilitation: A practical guide

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Clinical Research Methodology

Background:

• Single-case experimental designs (SCED) are crucial for evaluating interventions in rehabilitation, particularly with limited patient numbers.
• These designs involve repeated measurements and sequential intervention introduction, analyzed using visual and statistical methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce rehabilitation professionals to SCEDs.
• To offer practical guidance on designing and implementing SCEDs in clinical settings.
• To review suitable research questions and various SCED types.

Main Methods:

• Review of different SCED types (alternating treatment, introduction/withdrawal, multiple baseline designs).
• Outline of practical steps for SCED design preparation.
• Discussion of challenging issues including outcome measures, generalization, randomization, fidelity, and replicability.

Main Results:

• Examples from diverse rehabilitation domains illustrate SCED application.
• Presentation of simplified data analysis rules and resources.
• Exploration of SCED utility in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM).

Conclusions:

• SCEDs are valuable tools for intervention research in rehabilitation.
• The paper provides a comprehensive resource for clinicians to design and implement SCEDs.
• Addressing methodological challenges enhances the validity and generalizability of SCED findings.