Untangling function: measuring the severity, type and meaning of disabilities.

In this commentary, we argue that the current biomedical and psychosocial models of illness that form the basis of medicine are insufficient to describe this interface. We offer a biopsycho-ecological model of illness and disability referred to as health environmental integration (HEI) as a framework intended to encourage a more complete understanding of disability as arising at the interface between the person's internal and external worlds. By this model, person-level functional abilities as well as the subjective meaning of those functions result in part from interactions created by the exchange of energy and information between the person and his environment. Three components are essential in measuring function: severity of deficit, type of deficit, and meaning. We present functional status staging as an approach to measuring severity and type of deficit, and recovery preference exploration as a way to measure meaning. Rehabilitation medicine can come closer to bridging the gap between biological and the subjectively-based aspects of human function, by measuring all three concepts.

Development of complications during rehabilitation.

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: Although studies have demonstrated that medical rehabilitation patients have many complications that warrant attention, none has attempted to categorize complications by severity. This retrospective cohort study examined the incidence, types, and severity of problems that interrupt rehabilitation and the major risk factors for these events. RESULTS: Of 1075 patients, 359 (33.4%) had acute medical complications on rehabilitation considered severe enough to interrupt treatment. Of the 359 patients, 158 (44%) required an unexpected transfer off rehabilitation. The most common reasons for unexpected transfer were surgical causes (22.8%), followed by infection or fever (17.1%) and by thromboembolic events (16.5%). Logistic regression revealed that major risk factors for complications requiring transfer were a primary diagnosis of deconditioning or nontraumatic spinal cord injury (adjusted odds ratio, 2.7; confidence interval, 1.8 to 4.2), severity of initial disability (adjusted odds ratio, 1.2; confidence interval, 1.1 to 1.3 for every 10-point drop in a Modified Barthel Index), and number of comorbid conditions (adjusted odds ratio, 1.1; confidence interval, 1.0 to 1.2). Risk factors for any complication were similar, but there was an interaction between comorbidity and the degree of functional impairment; in patients who were severely functionally impaired, the number of comorbidities was not as strongly associated with the risk of complications as it was in patients who were less functionally impaired. CONCLUSION: There is a complex relationship among the type of underlying medical impairment, severity of functional limitation, comorbidity, and unanticipated medical or surgical complications that interrupt rehabilitation. The interruptions vary both in type and in severity.

Development of function-related groups version 2.0: a classification system for medical rehabilitation.

OBJECTIVE: To present a new version (2.0) of the Functional Independence Measure-Function Related Group (FIM-FRG) case-mix measure. DATA SOURCE/STUDY SETTING: 85,447 patient discharges from 252 freestanding facilities and hospital units contained in the 1992 Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation. STUDY DESIGN: Patient impairment category, functional status at admission to rehabilitation, and patient age were used to develop groups that were homogeneous with respect to length of stay. Within each impairment category patients were randomly assigned to one data set to create the system (through recursive partitioning) or a second set for validation. Clinical and statistical criteria were used to increase the percentage of patients classified, expand the impairment categories of FIM-FRGs Version 1.1, and evaluate the incremental predictive ability of coexisting medical diagnoses. Predictive stability over time was evaluated using 1990 discharges. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In Version 2.0, the percentage of patients classified was increased to 92 percent. Version 2.0 includes two new impairment categories and separate groups for patients admitted to rehabilitation for evaluation only. Coexisting medical diagnoses did not improve LOS prediction. The system explains 31.7 percent of the variance in the logarithm of LOS in the 1992 validation sample, and 31.0 percent in 1990 discharges. CONCLUSIONS: FIM-FRGs Version 2.0 includes more specific impairment categories, classifies a higher percentage of patient discharges, and appears sufficiently stable over time to form the basis of a payment system for inpatient medical rehabilitation.

A modular case-mix classification system for medical rehabilitation illustrated.

The authors present a modular set of patient classification systems designed for medical rehabilitation that predict resource use and outcomes for clinically similar groups of individuals. The systems, based on the Functional Independence Measure, are referred to as Function-Related Groups (FIM-FRGs). Using data from 23,637 lower extremity fracture patients from 458 inpatient medical rehabilitation facilities, 1995 benchmarks are provided and illustrated for length of stay, functional outcome, and discharge to home and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). The FIM-FRG modules may be used in parallel to study interactions between resource use and quality and could ultimately yield an integrated strategy for payment and outcomes measurement. This could position the rehabilitation community to take a pioneering role in the application of outcomes-based clinical indicators.

Efficiency pattern analysis for medical rehabilitation.

Efficiency pattern analysis (EPA) is a technique proposed for use in medical rehabilitation that links patient functional gain to resource use, as approximated by length of stay (LOS), after adjusting for initial severity. The Functional Independence Measure version of the Function Relation Groups (FIM-FRGs) is used to adjust for patient severity and to define the efficiency groups. The efficiency groups are based on LOS and functional gain cut point values in the statistical distribution that are above, below, or within the national interquartile range for each of 53 FRGs. Data from 32,494 patients discharged in 1990 from 123 rehabilitation facilities were used. EPA is a simple way to monitor change in functional gain in response to transformations in health care practices and resource availability. The technique could also provide individual facilities with a means to evaluate treatment efficiencies across time and to compare patterns of LOS and functional gain to national norms.

Research on physical activity and health among people with disabilities: a consensus statement.

Research is required to advance the understanding of issues related to the effect of physical activity on health and disease prevention among people with disabilities. This report is the result of a consensus process using selected experts in health and exercise. The purpose of the consensus conference was to identify research priorities for physical activity and health among people with disabilities. Priorities were established by 30 participants, who were selected by the principal investigators to achieve balance in the areas of engineering, epidemiology, medicine, nutrition, exercise physiology, and psychology. Experts summarized relevant data from their research and from comprehensive review of the scientific literature on the topic areas chosen for the conference. Public commentary was provided by participants in the 1996 Paralympic Congress. Panel members discussed openly all material presented to them in executive session. Commentary from open discussion periods were recorded and transcribed. Selected panelists prepared first drafts of the consensus statements for each research priority question. All of these drafts were distributed to the panelists and pertinent experts. The documents were edited by the drafting committee to obtain consensus. This research priority setting process revealed that greater emphasis must be placed on determining the risks and benefits of exercise among people with disabilities. Exercise must be studied from the perspective of disease prevention while mitigating risk for injury. Five areas were identified as focal points for future work: epidemiological studies; effects of nutrition on health and ability to exercise; cardiovascular and pulmonary health; children with disabilities; and accessibility and safety of exercise programs. As people with disabilities live longer, the need for addressing long-term health issues and risk for secondary disability must receive greater attention. As a consequence of the consensus process, specific recommendations for future research regarding the impact of exercise on the health and quality of life of persons with disabilities were defined.

A model of health environmental integration.

The spheres of health environmental integration (HEI) combine contemporary models of disease and disability and expand them with historic theories of the mind/body relationship. The basic premise is that neither the person nor his or her neurological sequelae can be characterized fully without viewing the environment as a dynamic system of which he or she and it are a part. Stroke rehabilitation based on such an integrative medical model could facilitate the health professional's understanding of how alternative treatments affect the patient's quality of life and experiences within environmental contexts.

Comparing VA and non-VA health care: the case of post-stroke rehabilitation.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) runs the largest integrated health system in the country, and provides care to nearly 4 million patients each year. It has been dogged by persistent doubts about its efficiency and quality of care, despite numerous quality improvement programs and an extensive reorganization in 1995. In fact, recent studies have found that health care in the VA compares favorably with non-VA systems, in areas such as preventive care and treatment for acute myocardial infarction. This Issue Brief summarizes a comparison in another area-inpatient rehabilitation for stroke- and highlights the difficulty and complexity of assessing quality across systems of care.

The road to developing standards for the diagnosis and treatment of venous leg ulcers.

In early 1996 the Venous Leg Ulcer Guideline was developed for the diagnosis and treatment of venous leg ulcers. In order to discuss the development of standards in general, and the Venous Leg Ulcer Guideline in particular, we first need to understand the difference between the following terms: Critical pathway, consensus statement, guideline, and standard. There are advantages and disadvantages to the use of guidelines. In the development of a guideline, endorsement by a respected colleague is important. Development of the Venous Leg Ulcer Guideline began with a consensus statement and then underwent review by a national advisory panel and national peer review through publication. A revised guideline has now been developed which will be tested in a pilot study for clinical efficacy, effect on cost, and impact on quality of life. Validation will require implementation in a prospective clinical trial. Diagnostic and Treatment Algorithm forms for the diagnosis and treatment of venous leg ulcers were developed as part of the preliminary testing of the guideline. Although guidelines do not substitute for good clinical judgement, they can encourage clinical judgement and help reduce fragmented care and the costs associated with inappropriate treatments.

Who wants to walk? Preferences for recovery after SCI: a longitudinal and cross-sectional study.

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional and longitudinal direct observation of a constrained consensus-building process in nine consumer panels and three rehabilitation professional panels. OBJECTIVES: To illustrate differences among consumer and clinician preferences for the restoration of walking function based on severity of injury, time of injury and age of the individual. SETTING: Regional Spinal Cord Center in Philadelphia, USA. METHODS: Twelve panels (consumer and clinical) came to independent consensus using the features-resource trade-off game. The procedure involves trading imagined levels of independence (resources) across different functional items (features) at different stages of recovery. RESULTS: Walking is given priority early in the game by eight out of nine consumer panels and by two out of three professional panels. The exception consumer panel (ISCI<50) moved walking later in the game, whereas the exception professional panel (rehRx) moved wheelchair early but walking much delayed. Bowel and Bladder was given primary importance in all panels. CONCLUSIONS: Walking is a high priority for recovery among consumers with spinal cord injury irrespective of severity of injury, time of injury and age at time of injury. Among professional staff, walking is also of high priority except in rehabilitation professionals.

Cross-cultural differences in preference for recovery of mobility among spinal cord injury rehabilitation professionals.

STUDY DESIGN: Direct observation of a constrained consensus-building process in three culturally independent five-person panels of rehabilitation professionals from the US, Italy and Canada. OBJECTIVES: To illustrate cultural differences in belief among rehabilitation professionals about the relative importance of alternative functional goals during spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation. SETTING: Spinal Cord Injury Units in Philadelphia-USA, Rome-Italy and Vancouver-Canada. METHODS: Each of the three panels came to independent consensus about recovery priorities in SCI utilizing the features resource trade-off game. The procedure involves trading imagined levels of independence (resources) across different functional items (features) assuming different stages of recovery. RESULTS: Sphincter management was of primary importance to all three groups. The Italian and Canadian rehabilitation professionals, however, showed preference for walking over wheelchair mobility at lower stages of assumed recovery, whereas the US professionals set wheelchair independence at a higher priority than walking. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary results suggest cross-cultural recovery priority differences among SCI rehabilitation professionals. These dissimilarities in preference may reflect disparities in values, cultural expectations and health care policies.

Measuring casemix, severity, and complexity in geriatric patients undergoing rehabilitation.

Geriatric rehabilitation is intended to maintain or restore function, maximize life satisfaction, enhance psychologic well-being, and maintain the social status of older persons. For clinical services to operate efficiently and equitably, payment must be based on rules that are clinically sound and thus reinforce the objectives of the services provided. This article presents a theoretical basis for casemix measurement in medical rehabilitation, contrasts structure of the functional independence measure-function-related groups (FIM-FRGs) intended for casemix measurement to the diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) and resource utilization groups (RUG) III systems designed for acute and long-term care settings, focuses on special issues of relevance to the rehabilitation of older persons, and provides four challenges in an effort to stimulate discussion.

Case-mix measurement in medical rehabilitation.

Case-mix measurement offers a way to take patient characteristics into account in the determination of payment rates. This article begins with an overview of major case-mix measures across inpatient hospital and other institutional settings and describes ways to measure the suitability and relative strengths of these measures. It then briefly discusses issues of payment and the appropriateness of alternative case-mix measures to inpatient rehabilitation. The literature review extends back to the 1970s, thus preceding advent of the Diagnosis-Related Groups, which was the first major case-mix measure developed and implemented in a hospital setting.

Defining the population, treatments, and outcomes of interest: reconciling the rules of biology with meaningfulness.

Population characteristics, treatment needs, therapeutic interventions, and outcomes are inextricably linked. To appreciate the treatment needs and outcomes of populations served by rehabilitation medicine, it is essential to understand how specific conditions impair mental and physical functioning, given the environments within which people choose to live. States of the mind and body combine with the characteristics of the man-made and natural world and the social infrastructure to yield disabilities and, thus, shape the demand for rehabilitation services. The 1997 draft of ICIDH-2: International Classification of Impairments, Activities, and Participation (ICIDH-2) is described as an approach to population definition and outcome assessment. A new and evolving model referred to as the spheres of human-environmental integration (HEI) is applied to expressing the nonlinear and overlapping relationships among the ICIDH-2 dimensions. HEI is defined as the individual's potential for meaningful physical and mental activity as determined by physical and mental capabilities in relationship to the man-made and natural worlds, social expectations, and available resources. HEI can be expanded by reducing disabilities through medical and rehabilitation interventions and by eliminating environmental barriers. This dual approach implies a need to integrate rehabilitation sciences with the principles of independent living, which view disablement as a function of the environment. The ICIDH-2 dimensions combined with HEI are used to define populations and to study the mechanisms and effects of alternative treatments through various techniques of case-mix measurement, disability staging, and utility assessment.

The story of function-related groups--please, first do no harm.

In November 2000, the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) published a proposed rule announcing their intention to implement a prospective payment system for rehabilitation inpatient facilities and hospital units. In this system, payments are to be scaled to patient complexity through a classification system referred to as case-mix groups (CMGs) modeled after the Functional Independence Measure-Function Related Groups, which were developed from the FIM instrument. Under the HCFA proposal, CMGs will be derived from the Minimum Data Set for Post-Acute Care (MDS-PAC). This shift to the MDS-PAC, with little scientific evidence to support it, can have a negative impact on how the system expresses patient need, on how patients access services, and on the equity of hospital payments.

Multiple sclerosis and rehabilitation outcome.

This paper reviewed the outcome for people with severe multiple sclerosis admitted to an inpatient rehabilitation center. Data was gathered on admission, at discharge, and at three months postdischarge. Over a four-year period 28 patients received care comprising a total of 33 patient admissions. Seventy-three percent of the cases were women, ages 23 to 69. Sixty-one percent were admitted from acute care medical services. On admission, 18% ambulated independently, by discharge 76% could do so. Fifteen cases changed from dependent to independent status in stair climbing by discharge. Less dramatic improvements were noted for activities of daily living categories. In general, individuals who stayed at the center longer were initially more dependent and made greater relative gains. More patients with multiple admissions were married, and they tended either to be employed or to have at least partial homemaking responsibilities.