Correlation Between Participation in a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program and Quality of Life of Patients With Coronary Artery Disease.

Correlation between Participation in a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program and Quality of Life of Patients with Coronary Artery Disease.

Rehabil Nurs. 2013 Aug 6;
Herman R, Liebergall M, Rott D

To examine the correlation between participation in a cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program and quality of life (QoL).A prospective study of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).Participants completed questionnaires before and after a 3-month CR program. Patients were surveyed using a cardiac history evaluation and the MacNew Heart Disease Health-Related QoL questionnaire.Of those eligible, only 14% of the participants were women and 7% were of Arab ethnicity. Patients’ QoL significantly improved following participation. Higher level of education was associated with improved QoL. Conversely, cardiac risk factor burden was associated with a decline in QoL. No association was found between cardiac risk stratification, age or religiosity and QoL.Improved QoL after CR program participation should raise awareness of the significant benefits of CR among healthcare professionals.CR for those patients with CAD should be implemented, with a focus on women and minorities. HubMed – rehab

Mobility and Quality of Life after Discharge from a Clinical Geriatric Setting Focused on Gender and Age.

Rehabil Nurs. 2013 Aug 6;
Strupeit S, Wolf-Ostermann K, Buss A, Dassen T

The purpose of this study was to assess the long-term functional status and quality of life of older individuals with functional mobility impairment.A prospective longitudinal study was conducted.The study sample consisted of elderly patients who had been admitted to a rehabilitation facility in Hamburg, Germany. Data were collected from February 2008 to August 2009 in the rehabilitation center and the living environment of the participants after discharge. Quality of life was assessed using the WHO Quality of Life-BREF; activities of daily living were measured using the Barthel-Index (BI).Functional status and overall quality of life increased from admission (BI = 73.33) to 6 months postadmission (BI = 89.29) but decreased at 12 months postadmission (BI = 85.71). Quality of life significantly increased in the psychological domain from admission (57.85) to 6 months follow-up (67.85) (p = .010). Men showed a better functional status over time (p = .010) than women. Higher quality of life scores were associated with higher MMSE (p = .031) and self-efficacy scores (p = .019) at admission.The findings of this study suggest a need for interventions to improve functional status and quality of life in this population, especially following 6 months after discharge.Special interventions should address physical quality of life and physical functioning. Gender differences should be considered in planning and implementing programs. HubMed – rehab

The effect of altering a single component of a rehabilitation programme on the functional recovery of stroke patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Clin Rehabil. 2013 Aug 6;
Hayward KS, Barker RN, Carson RG, Brauer SG

Objective:To evaluate the effect of altering a single component of a rehabilitation programme (e.g. adding bilateral practice alone) on functional recovery after stroke, defined using a measure of activity.Data sources:A search was conducted of Medline/Pubmed, CINAHL and Web of Science.Review methods:Two reviewers independently assessed eligibility. Randomized controlled trials were included if all participants received the same base intervention, and the experimental group experienced alteration of a single component of the training programme. This could be manipulation of an intrinsic component of training (e.g. intensity) or the addition of a discretionary component (e.g. augmented feedback). One reviewer extracted the data and another independently checked a subsample (20%). Quality was appraised according to the PEDro scale.Results:Thirty-six studies (n = 1724 participants) were included. These evaluated nine training components: mechanical degrees of freedom, intensity of practice, load, practice schedule, augmented feedback, bilateral movements, constraint of the unimpaired limb, mental practice and mirrored-visual feedback. Manipulation of the mechanical degrees of freedom of the trunk during reaching and the addition of mental practice during upper limb training were the only single components found to independently enhance recovery of function after stroke.Conclusion:This review provides limited evidence to support the supposition that altering a single component of a rehabilitation programme realises greater functional recovery for stroke survivors. Further investigations are required to determine the most effective single components of rehabilitation programmes, and the combinations that may enhance functional recovery. HubMed – rehab

Diagnosis Dialog for Pediatric Physical Therapists: Hypotonia, Developmental Coordination Disorder, and Pediatric Obesity as Examples.

Pediatr Phys Ther. 2013 Aug 6;
Martin KS, Westcott S, Wrotniak BH

To clarify what diagnosis means for pediatric physical therapists, to provide several examples of human movement dysfunction syndromes, and to offer guidance for how pediatric physical therapists may continue this work in any clinical setting.The importance of diagnosis in pediatric physical therapy is presented along with examples of 3 different processes used to develop diagnostic labels. These processes included surveys to identify consensus opinion of clinicians, a literature review, and a combination of these 2. Hypotonia, developmental coordination disorder, and pediatric obesity are presented as examples.The 3 diagnoses serve as a basis for ongoing dialogue, discussion, and development of diagnostic labels for human movement syndromes identified by pediatric physical therapists. HubMed – rehab