The Impact of Total Joint Arthroplasty on Long-Term Physical Activity: A Secondary Analysis of the Health and Retirement Study.

OBJECTIVE: Physical inactivity is the fourth-leading cause of global mortality and is prevalent among people with lower extremity osteoarthritis. Lower extremity osteoarthritis is the most common arthritis type afflicting older adults, and total joint arthroplasty (TJA) performed to address the condition is Medicare's largest annual expense. Despite TJA intervention to address the disabling effects of osteoarthritis, physical activity (PA) level remains stable 6 months after TJA; however, the effect of TJA on long-term PA $(\ge$2 y) in a representative sample of older adults is unknown. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that PA would remain stable in the long term. METHODS: In this longitudinal observational study, a probability-weighted difference-in-differences analysis was conducted to observe the predictive margins of nontraumatic hip or knee TJA on levels of vigorous and moderate PA after 2 years. A combined Health and Retirement Study data set of community-dwelling adults who were >55 years old, had symptomatic osteoarthritis, and were in need of TJA between 2008 and 2018 (N = 4652) was used. RESULTS: TJA was not associated with vigorous PA ($\delta$ = 2.37; SE = 5.23) or moderate PA ($\delta$ = -2.84; SE = 7.76) after 2 years. CONCLUSION: TJA was not associated with increased long-term PA in older adults with osteoarthritis. IMPACT: Physical therapists should not assume that there will be a natural increase in PA after functional recovery from TJA procedures. Older adults with lower extremity osteoarthritis may benefit from PA screening and promotion practices in physical therapy services. LAY SUMMARY: Receiving a total joint replacement does not lead to increased physical activity levels 2 years after surgery.

Stakeholder and Data-Driven Fall Screen in a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly: Quality Improvement Initiative.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) delivers community-based long-term care services to low-income, nursing home eligible adults. In the PACE population, one of the most common reasons for hospitalizations is falls. The purpose of this quality improvement study was to create a stakeholder-driven process for developing a fall risk screen and evaluate how well this process discriminated injurious and noninjurious fallers. METHODS: The quality improvement design was a prospective, longitudinal data collection for 5 PACE programs in Colorado. Physical therapists collected the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) on participants at least annually. The Kotter practice change framework guided the processes for practice and organizational change in developing and implementing a fall screen. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: An iterative, stakeholder, and data-driven process allowed our team of researchers and a PACE program to establish a fall risk screen to stratify PACE participants. We provided feedback to PACE staff regarding screening rates and results on discrimination of faller status to promote continued uptake of screening and discussion regarding next steps. Rehabilitation therapists screened 66% of the PACE population, and participants were stratified into high risk (1-7 points) or low risk (8-12 points) based on the SPPB. Participants with low SPPB scores had 79% greater risk of a fall (risk ratio [RR] = 1.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5-2.1) and 86% greater risk of an injurious fall (RR = 1.9; 95% CI, 1.4-2.4), compared with those with high SPPB scores. CONCLUSIONS: Our study describes a collaboration to address fall rates in a PACE population. Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly clinicians can use the identified cut-offs to stratify PACE populations at risk for falls and allocate scarce rehabilitation resources efficiently to best serve participants at highest risk, while using less resource-intensive interventions for those at lower risk.

Implementation of a rehabilitation model in a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE): Preliminary data.

BACKGROUND: Nursing home eligible participants in the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) are at high risk for falls. Physical function is a modifiable predictor of falls and an important target for prevention. We engaged a PACE site to explore feasibility of implementing progressive intensive rehabilitation to improve physical function and preliminary patient-level improvements. METHODS: The research involved a mixed-methods, pre-post implementation study with longitudinal patient follow-up at one Denver PACE site. Older adults at risk for institutionalization (N = 28) took part in Screening and high-intensity interventions to Improve Falls risk and Transform expectations in age and aging (SHIFT) rehabilitation program over six weeks. Outcomes included the short physical performance battery (SPPB); 4-meter gait speed at baseline, discharge, and 6 and 12 months postdischarge from SHIFT. A focus group with staff explored facilitators and barriers to program implementation in the PACE setting and with complex patients and perceived effectiveness. RESULTS: The rehabilitation team demonstrated high treatment fidelity to SHIFT (>80%). No treatment-specific adverse events were reported. SPPB scores and gait speeds improved significantly over time (p < 0.005). The average SPPB score at evaluation was 4.6 ± 0.24 compared to 7.7 ± 0.38 points at discharge. The average gait speed at evaluation was 0.58 ± 0.03 meters/second (m/s) compared to 0.79 ± 0.04 m/s at discharge. Common barriers to program completion included changes in health status and environmental factors (e.g., transportation). CONCLUSIONS: Rehabilitation therapists incorporated a high-intensity resistance training program into routine care of complex older adults in PACE and improved pre-post physical function to levels above independence thresholds (SPPB ≥6; gait speed ≥0.65 m/s). Our pilot implementation study informed refinement of eligibility criteria, number of visits, and strategies to address long-term adherence to enhance scalability and optimize impact.

Mixed-Methods Approach to Understanding Determinants of Practice Change in Skilled Nursing Facility Rehabilitation: Adapting to and Sustaining Value With Postacute Reform.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Postacute care reform is driving physical and occupational therapists in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) to change how they deliver care to produce better outcomes in less time. However, gaps exist in understanding determinants of practice change, which limits translation of evidence into practice. This study explored what determinants impacted change in care delivery at 2 SNFs that implemented a high-intensity resistance training intervention. METHODS: We used a mixed-methods, sequential explanatory design to explain quantitative findings using qualitative methods with a multiple-case study approach. Quantitative data were collected on therapists' attitudes toward evidence-based practice and aspects of intervention implementation. We conducted focus groups with therapists (N = 15) at 2 SNFs, classified as either high- (SNF-H) or low-performing (SNF-L) based on implementation fidelity and sustainability. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Determinants of SNF rehabilitation practice change included the organizational system, team dynamics, patient and therapist self-efficacy, perceptions of intervention effectiveness, and ability to overcome preconceived notions. A patient-centered system, positive team dynamics, and ability to overcome preconceived notions fostered practice change at SNF-H. While self-efficacy and perception of effectiveness positively impacted change in practice at both SNFs, these determinants were not enough to overcome challenges at SNF-L. To adapt to changes and sustain rehabilitation value, further research must identify the combination of determinants that promote application of evidence-based practice. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first step in understanding what drives change in SNF rehabilitation practice. As SNF rehabilitation continues to face changes in health care delivery and reimbursement, therapists will need to adapt, by changing practice patterns and adopting evidence-based approaches, to demonstrate value in postacute care.

Multiparticipant Rehabilitation in Skilled Nursing Facilities: An Observational Comparison Study.

OBJECTIVES: Post-acute care reform creates an impetus for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) to reevaluate care delivery to promote value. One method to contain costs is to deliver rehabilitation with multiple individuals and 1 therapist. Our preliminary investigation proposed to identify clinical prescribing patterns for multiparticipant therapy and evaluate the impact on functional change. DESIGN: The study design was observational with prospective data collection. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Data were collected on 458 individuals admitted to 1 SNF. MEASURES: Therapists administered the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and gait speed at admission and discharge. Unadjusted binomial logistic regression models analyzed the odds ratio for receiving multiparticipant therapy. Linear regression models analyzed the impact of multiparticipant therapy on functional outcomes. RESULTS: The odds of receiving multiparticipant therapy were greater with private pay or managed care compared with Medicare A [odds ratio (OR) 2.542; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.631-3.960 and OR 2.182; 95% CI 1.812-2.629] or a Medicare priority diagnosis (OR 1.333; 95% CI 1.176-1.511). The odds of not receiving multiparticipant therapy were greater with pain that affects activity and sleep (OR 0.836; 95% CI 0.710-0.984; OR 0.809; 95% CI 0.662-0.989). The amount of multiparticipant therapy sessions did not affect adjusted functional change in the SPPB or gait speed (P > .195). Irrespective of care delivery mode, individuals demonstrated levels of function predictive of adverse events at discharge. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Payer source, diagnosis, and presence of significant pain may play a role in selection for multiparticipant therapy, with no differences in functional outcomes related to rehabilitation delivery. Importantly, individuals discharge from the SNF at alarmingly low levels of function, prompting the need to assess SNF rehabilitation and transition to the community, regardless of care delivery mode. Further research will inform an evidence-based decision guide regarding different modes and quality of SNF rehabilitation care delivery.

The Impact of Home Health Physical Therapy on Medicare Beneficiaries With a Primary Diagnosis of Dementia.

BACKGROUND: Dementia is a leading cause of disability for adults older than 65 years. Exercise intervention slows functional decline and improves balance; however, the efficacy of physical therapy (PT) services for persons with dementia is unknown. The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of home health PT services on physical function for Medicare beneficiaries with a primary diagnosis of dementia. DESIGN: Observational cohort study using a combined Medicare data set of home health beneficiaries; we performed augmented inverse probability weighted regression with demographic, comorbidity, and symptom-level characteristics analyzed as covariates. SETTING: Home healthcare, United States, 2012. PARTICIPANTS: Medicare beneficiaries who had a primary diagnosis of dementia and home health function evaluations at discharge (n = 1477). INTERVENTION: PT treatment, examined by (1) any PT and (2) PT visit number. MEASUREMENT: Improvement in composite activity of daily living (ADL) scores from home health admit to discharge. RESULTS: Any PT increased the probability of improvement in ADLs by 15.2% (P < .001). Compared to 1 to 5 PT visits, 6 to 13 visits increased the probability of ADL improvement by 11.6% (P < .001). CONCLUSION: PT intervention is beneficial for ADL function improvement in Medicare home health beneficiaries with a primary diagnosis of dementia. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:867-871, 2020.

Trajectories of functional performance and muscle strength recovery differ after total knee and total hip replacement: a performance-based, longitudinal study.

Total joint replacement is indicated to alleviate pain and disability associated with hip and knee osteoarthritis. Arthroplasty outcomes are typically reported together, or anecdotal comparisons are made between total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA) recovery. Limited data quantifies differences in recovery trajectories, especially with respect to performance-based outcomes. Seventy-nine people undergoing total knee or THA were followed over 6 months. Functional performance was measured using the stair climb test, timed-up-and-go test, and 6-min walk test. Surgical limb isometric strength was also measured. All outcomes significantly declined 1 month after surgery. Participants in the TKA group showed a greater decline in climbing stairs (P < 0.001), timed-up-and-go (P = 0.01), and 6-min walk distance (P < 0.01). Further, the TKA group lost more strength (P < 0.001) and were weaker than those after THA (P < 0.001). Differences in postoperative outcomes between groups at 3 and 6 months were also observed. The TKA group experiences a greater decline in measured outcomes than the THA group, and muscle strength and functional recovery occurred differently in each group. These findings should be considered in rehabilitation priorities after arthroplasty surgery.