One in 11 Cochrane Reviews Are on Rehabilitation Interventions, According to Pragmatic Inclusion Criteria Developed by Cochrane Rehabilitation.

OBJECTIVE: To identify all published protocols and reviews in the Cochrane Library relevant to the scope of practice of rehabilitation; to test pragmatic criteria to identify rehabilitation interventions; to begin categorizing reviews according to the professionals involved in delivering the intervention and broad areas of clinical practice. DATA SOURCES: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. STUDY SELECTION: We screened all published reviews and protocols in the Cochrane library. DATA EXTRACTION: We built an online relational database into which we imported titles and abstracts of all reviews and protocols published in the Cochrane Library from 1996 to August 2018. We recruited rehabilitation professionals worldwide through Cochrane Rehabilitation's social media to find and tag rehabilitation reviews in this database. One rehabilitation physician and 1 allied health professional independently tagged each title against prespecified criteria. The Cochrane Rehabilitation Review Committee examined disagreements between contributors for any uncertainties about how to categorize a review. We revised and improved our preliminary criteria for identifying rehabilitation interventions as the work progressed. DATA SYNTHESIS: We identified that 9.4% of all Cochrane publications (894/9471 reviews and protocols) are directly relevant to the practice of rehabilitation. The professional groups whose interventions were most frequently the subject of rehabilitation reviews and protocols were rehabilitation physicians and physical therapists. We also identified a final list of inclusion and exclusion criteria for reviews on rehabilitation interventions. CONCLUSION: Many Cochrane Reviews are directly relevant to rehabilitation. Cochrane needs to consider the rehabilitation community a major stakeholder in all its work. The pragmatic criteria we tested are offered for future discussions on the identification and categorization of rehabilitation interventions by stakeholders worldwide. This work will support the spread of content from the Cochrane Library to rehabilitation professionals and guide future research.

Enabling people, not completing tasks: patient perspectives on relationships and staff morale in mental health wards in England.

BACKGROUND: Mental health inpatient wards are stressful places to work and concerns have been raised regarding quality of patient care and staff wellbeing on these wards. Recent research has suggested that robust support systems and conditions that allow staff to exercise professional autonomy in their clinical work result in better staff morale. Staff value having a voice in their organisations, and say that they would like more interaction with patients and processes to reduce violent incidents on wards. There has been little research into patients' views on staff morale and on how it may impact on their care. This study aimed to explore staff morale and staff-patient relationships from a patient perspective. METHODS: A qualitative investigation was conducted using purposive sampling to select seven inpatient wards in England representing various subspecialties. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with three patients on each ward. A thematic approach to analysis was used, supported by NVivo 10 software. RESULTS: Patients valued staff who worked together as a cohesive team, treated them as individuals, practised in a collaborative way and used enabling approaches to support their recovery. Participating patients described observing staff closely and feeling concerned at times about their well-being and the impact on them of stress and adverse incidents. They tended to perceive ward staff and patients as closely and reciprocally linked, with staff morale having a significant impact on patient well-being and vice versa. Some participants also described modifying their own behaviour because of concerns about staff well-being. Administrative duties, staff shortages and detrimental effects of violent incidents on the ward were seen as compromising staff members' ability to be involved with patients' lives and care. CONCLUSION: Patient views about the factors impacting on staff morale on inpatient wards are similar to those of staff in qualitative studies. Their accounts suggest that staff and patient morale should be seen as interlinked, suggesting there is scope for interventions to benefit both.

Goal setting and strategies to enhance goal pursuit for adults with acquired disability participating in rehabilitation.

BACKGROUND: Goal setting is considered a key component of rehabilitation for adults with acquired disability, yet there is little consensus regarding the best strategies for undertaking goal setting and in which clinical contexts. It has also been unclear what effect, if any, goal setting has on health outcomes after rehabilitation. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of goal setting and strategies to enhance the pursuit of goals (i.e. how goals and progress towards goals are communicated, used, or shared) on improving health outcomes in adults with acquired disability participating in rehabilitation. SEARCH METHODS: We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, four other databases and three trials registers to December 2013, together with reference checking, citation searching and contact with study authors to identify additional studies. We did not impose any language or date restrictions. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs), cluster-RCTs and quasi-RCTs evaluating the effects of goal setting or strategies to enhance goal pursuit in the context of adult rehabilitation for acquired disability. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two authors independently reviewed search results for inclusion. Grey literature searches were conducted and reviewed by a single author. Two authors independently extracted data and assessed risk of bias for included studies. We contacted study authors for additional information. MAIN RESULTS: We included 39 studies (27 RCTs, 6 cluster-RCTs, and 6 quasi-RCTs) involving 2846 participants in total. Studies ranged widely regarding clinical context and participants' primary health conditions. The most common health conditions included musculoskeletal disorders, brain injury, chronic pain, mental health conditions, and cardiovascular disease.Eighteen studies compared goal setting, with or without strategies to enhance goal pursuit, to no goal setting. These studies provide very low quality evidence that including any type of goal setting in the practice of adult rehabilitation is better than no goal setting for health-related quality of life or self-reported emotional status (8 studies; 446 participants; standardised mean difference (SMD) 0.53, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.17 to 0.88, indicative of a moderate effect size) and self-efficacy (3 studies; 108 participants; SMD 1.07, 95% CI 0.64 to 1.49, indicative of a moderate to large effect size). The evidence is inconclusive regarding whether goal setting results in improvements in social participation or activity levels, body structure or function, or levels of patient engagement in the rehabilitation process. Insufficient data are available to determine whether or not goal setting is associated with more or fewer adverse events compared to no goal setting.Fourteen studies compared structured goal setting approaches, with or without strategies to enhance goal pursuit, to 'usual care' that may have involved some goal setting but where no structured approach was followed. These studies provide very low quality evidence that more structured goal setting results in higher patient self-efficacy (2 studies; 134 participants; SMD 0.37, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.71, indicative of a small effect size) and low quality evidence for greater satisfaction with service delivery (5 studies; 309 participants; SMD 0.33, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.56, indicative of a small effect size). The evidence was inconclusive regarding whether more structured goal setting approaches result in higher health-related quality of life or self-reported emotional status, social participation, activity levels, or improvements in body structure or function. Three studies in this group reported on adverse events (death, re-hospitalisation, or worsening symptoms), but insufficient data are available to determine whether structured goal setting is associated with more or fewer adverse events than usual care.A moderate degree of heterogeneity was observed in outcomes across all studies, but an insufficient number of studies was available to permit subgroup analysis to explore the reasons for this heterogeneity. The review also considers studies which investigate the effects of different approaches to enhancing goal pursuit, and studies which investigate different structured goal setting approaches. It also reports on secondary outcomes including goal attainment and healthcare utilisation. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: There is some very low quality evidence that goal setting may improve some outcomes for adults receiving rehabilitation for acquired disability. The best of this evidence appears to favour positive effects for psychosocial outcomes (i.e. health-related quality of life, emotional status, and self-efficacy) rather than physical ones. Due to study limitations, there is considerable uncertainty regarding these effects however, and further research is highly likely to change reported estimates of effect.

Self-Reflective Meaning Making in Troubled Times: Change in Self-Identity After Traumatic Brain Injury.

Our aim with this article is to clarify the concept of change in self-identity following traumatic brain injury (TBI). We used concept analysis methodology-predominantly concept clarification. We identified 110 articles using a systematic literature search, and used critical appraisal, content analysis, and analytical questioning to explore attributes and boundaries. A reported change in self-identity is the ultimate expression of a variety of cognitive, psychological, and social sequelae of TBI. We present an integrative model of this process, identifying three potential levels of change: (a) component parts (egocentric self, sociocentric self, and "identity as shared with others"); (b) integral processes (self-awareness and expression via meaningful occupation and narratives); and (c) whole-system disruption. Change in self-identity after TBI is a highly individualistic process. The driver of this process is "self-reflective meaning making," giving a purpose and direction in life, providing motivation and goals for future behavior.

Improving the quality of evidence production in rehabilitation. Results of the 5th Cochrane Rehabilitation Methodological Meeting.

The paper introduces the Special Sections of the European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine dedicated to the 5th Methodological Meeting of Cochrane Rehabilitation. It introduces Cochrane Rehabilitation; its vision, mission and goals; discusses why the Methodological Meetings were created; and reports on their organisation and previous outcomes. The core content of this editorial is the 5th Methodological Meeting held in Milan in September 2023. The original title for this meeting was "The Rehabilitation Evidence Ecosystem: useful study designs." The focus of the Milan meeting was informed by the lessons learned by Cochrane Rehabilitation in the past few years, by the new rehabilitation definition for research purposes, by the collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), and by the REH-COVER (Rehabilitation COVID-19 Evidence-Based Response) action. During the Meeting, participants discussed the current methodological evidence on the following: RCTs in rehabilitation coming from meta-epidemiological studies; observational study designs - specifically the IDEAL Framework (Idea, Development, Exploration, Assessment, Long-term study) and its potential implementation in rehabilitation and the Target Trial Emulation framework: Single Case Experimental Designs; complex intervention studies: health services research studies, and studies using qualitative approaches. The Meeting culminated in the development of a first version of a "road map" to navigate the evidence production in rehabilitation according to the previous discussions. The Special Sections' papers present all topics discussed at the meeting, and a methodological paper about choosing the right research question, presenting final results and the "road map" for evidence production in rehabilitation.

Designing studies and reviews to produce informative, trustworthy evidence about complex interventions in rehabilitation: a narrative review and commentary.

According to Cochrane Rehabilitation's recently published definition for research purposes, rehabilitation is inherently complex. Rehabilitation teams frequently implement multiple strategies concurrently, draw on input from a range of different health professionals, target multiple outcomes, and personalize therapeutic plans. The success of rehabilitation lies not only in the specific therapies employed, but also in how they are delivered, when they are delivered, and the capability and willingness of patients to engage in them. In 2021, the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) and the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) released the second major update of its framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions. This framework has direct relevance to the development and implementation of evidence-based practice in the field of rehabilitation. While previous iterations of this framework positioned complex interventions as anything that involved multiple components, multiple people, multiple settings, multiple targets of effect, and behavior change, this latest framework expanded on this concept of complexity to also include the characteristics and influence of the context in which interventions occur. The revised MRC-NIHR framework presents complex intervention research as comprising the following four inter-related and overlapping phases: 1) development or identification of the intervention; 2) feasibility; 3) evaluation; and 4) implementation, with different methods and tools required to address each of these phases. This paper provides an overview of the MRC-NIHR framework and its application to rehabilitation, with examples from past research. Rehabilitation researchers are encouraged to learn about the MRC-NIHR framework and its application. Funders of rehabilitation research are also encouraged to place greater emphasis on supporting studies that involve the right design to address key uncertainties in rehabilitation clinical practice. This will require investment into a broader range of types of research than simply individual-level randomized controlled trials. Rehabilitation research can both learn from and contribute to future iterations of the MRC-NIHR framework as it is an excellent environment for exploring complexity in clinical practice.

Challenges in applying evidence-based practice in stroke rehabilitation: a qualitative description of health professional experience in low, middle, and high-income countries.

Purpose: Evidence-based practice (EBP) is considered central to ethical, effective service delivery in rehabilitation, and the implementation of the World Health Organisation's Rehabilitation Strategy 2030. This study aimed to explore and compare the experiences of health professionals regarding the application of EBP for stroke rehabilitation in each participant's region and country, which provided perspectives from low, middle, and high-income countries.Methods and materials: Interviews were conducted with 12 experienced rehabilitation professionals from 12 different countries (5 high-income, 2 upper-middle income, 3 lower-middle income, and 2 low-income countries) and interpreted using qualitative descriptive analysis.Results: Nine factors influencing evidence-based stroke rehabilitation were: 1) the complexity of rehabilitation research; 2) the (ir)relevance of research to local context; 3) lack of time for EBP; 4) minimal training in EBP; 5) changing health professional behaviours; 6) poor access to resources for developing EBP; 7) influence of culture, patients, and families; 8) language barriers; and 9) lack of access to research evidence. Economic constraints contributed to many challenges; but not all challenges related to the country's economic classification.Conclusion: A global approach is needed to share knowledge about EBP, especially scientific evidence and innovative thinking about its application to clinical practice. Implications for rehabilitationRehabilitation professional groups should contribute to a global network to improve informal knowledge sharing and training around evidence-based practice.Support for training in evidence-based practice and its application needs to be developed and accessible in all countries, including low and middle-income countries.It is imperative that policymakers prioritise practical, evidence-based solutions for rehabilitation research in low and middle-income countries that can be effectively implemented within local settings.There must be solutions and increased accessibility of journal articles for those working in low and middle-income countries including those whose first language is not English.

Prevention of Re-Hospitalization for Acute Exacerbations: Perspectives of People with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Qualitative Study.

Purpose: Current guidelines for prevention of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) reflect clinical understanding of the causes of exacerbations but with a limited recognition of person-specific contributing factors. As part of a randomized trial of a person-centered intervention aiming to promote self-determination, we describe personal perspectives of those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on what they saw as the causes and best ways to stay well and prevent rehospitalization after an AECOPD. Patients and Methods: Twelve participants (mean age 69.3 years, six female, six male; eight New Zealand European, two Maori, one Pacific, and one other) were interviewed about their experiences of staying well and out of hospital. Data were collected via individual semi-structured interviews one year following an index hospital admission for AECOPD and focused on the participants' views and experiences of their health condition, their beliefs about staying well, and the causes of and factors preventing further exacerbations and hospitalizations. Data were analyzed using constructivist grounded theory methods. Results: Three main themes were identified that described participants' views on what helped or hindered them to stay well and out of hospital: 1) Being Positive: The importance of having a positive mindset; 2) Being Proactive: Practical steps to reduce the risk of, and consequences from, episodes of AECOPD; and 3) Being in Control: Feeling in command of one's life and health. Each of these was affected by Being Connected: The influence of significant others, particularly close family. Conclusion: This research expands our understanding of how patients manage COPD and adds patient perspectives to current knowledge on how to prevent recurrent AECOPD. Programs which promote self-efficacy and positivity would be beneficial additions to AECOPD prevention strategies, as could the inclusion of family or significant others in wellbeing plans.

Taking Charge After Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial of a Psychologically Informed Self-Management Intervention.

Purpose: Few interventions improve outcomes for people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), particularly higher risk groups such as those admitted to hospital with an acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD). The aim of the study was to test the feasibility and acceptability of a modified version of the Take Charge program in people after AECOPD and to determine the potential to improve self-reported limitations, health-related quality of life and reduce future hospitalizations. Patients and Methods: A prospective, parallel group randomized trial with blinded endpoint assessment. Participants had been discharged from hospital with a diagnosis of AECOPD and were randomized to receive either a single 60-90 minute session of "Take Charge for COPD" from a trained facilitator in their own home or usual care. Take Charge is a "talking therapy" that encourages a sense of purpose, autonomy, mastery, and connectedness with others. The primary outcome was the rate of moderate or severe episodes of AECOPD in the subsequent 12 months. Results: Fifty-six people were randomized (study target 60): predominantly European (71%), female (61%), older (mean [SD] age 70 [11] years), and non-smokers (89%). Charlson Comorbidity Index mean (SD) score was 2.3 (1.6) indicating mild to moderate comorbidity severity. There were 85 moderate or severe AECOPD episodes in the 12 months after the index admission for the Take Charge participants and 84 episodes in the control group (relative rate 0.93; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.69 to 1.26). COPD Clinical Questionnaire (CCQ) scores were significantly lower (better) in the Take Charge group (mean difference -1.26; 95% CI -2.06 to -0.45). Conclusion: The Take Charge intervention proved feasible with a population of people recently discharged from hospital with AECOPD. The direction of change in the primary outcome and some secondary outcomes suggest that an adequately powered study is justified.

Nursing contribution to the rehabilitation of older patients: patient and family perspectives.

AIMS: This article reports a study of the perspective of older patients and their family members on the role of nurses in inpatient rehabilitation. BACKGROUND: Rehabilitation services are used increasingly by older patients as life expectancy increases. The role of rehabilitation nurses in the multidisciplinary team has, however, yet to be clearly articulated. Previous research has focussed on the views of health professionals about nursing involvement in rehabilitation, but none has sought family members' perspectives. With the expectation of patient-centred care, it is important to consider what older patients and their families expect and require from nurses. DESIGN: Grounded theory was used to collect and analyse data from interviews in an inpatient rehabilitation unit in New Zealand with seven patients, aged 72-89 years, and six family members, during 2009-2010. FINDINGS: A substantive theory was developed which recognizes that the older patient values the relationship they build with nurses more than any specific role nurses perform. Participants acknowledged that rehabilitation nurses' roles included 'looking after', 'stepping in' and 'coaching independence' but 'best fit' nurses were identified by patients based on their 'nature', 'being available' and 'being attuned' to the patient's individual needs. If a 'connection' was formed, then this 'best fit relationship' maximized the older person's motivation to participate in his or her rehabilitation therapy. CONCLUSION: Patients and family members appreciate 'best fit relationships' where nurses seek to enter into the older person's world of disability to form a partnership which enhances their motivation to achieve independence.

Living with a long-term health condition and seeking paid work: qualitative systematic review and thematic synthesis.

PURPOSE: An interplay of complex issues influence opportunities to gain paid work for people living with long-term conditions, but there are patterns that traverse the various contexts. Synthesising findings across qualitative studies can inform vocational rehabilitation approaches. METHODS: Public consultation and PRISMA guidelines were used to develop a protocol and comprehensive search strategy. Seven databases were searched and results screened against inclusion criteria. Included studies investigated either lived experiences of gaining paid work while living with a long-term condition or the socio-cultural factors affecting opportunities for paid work. Findings were extracted from included studies and then analysed using thematic synthesis. RESULTS: Sixty-two studies met inclusion criteria. Identified themes demonstrate that people living with long-term conditions need access to support through the different stages of gaining paid work. This can include considering the benefits and risks of having paid work and negotiating needs in the workplace prior to and during employment. Positive experiences for workers and employers were influential in changing attitudes about the work-ability of people living with long-term conditions. CONCLUSION: Findings emphasise the interplay between socio-cultural norms and the constraints experienced in trying to gain work. Appropriately targeted support can unlock possibilities that are otherwise hindered by these norms.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONPositive experiences of paid work for people living with long-term conditions and those who employ them are important for stimulating future opportunities."Informal" or alternative routes into paid work are experienced as more successful in contending with discrimination.Job seekers living with long-term conditions need access to pre-placement advocacy, support to negotiate work-related needs, and support to negotiate difficulties that arise in the job.Vocational rehabilitation initiatives need to have good collaboration with other health services to ensure consistent messages about seeking and managing work.

Experiences of vocational rehabilitation and support services for people living with a long term condition: qualitative systematic review.

PURPOSE: Identify and synthesise qualitative research evidence on activities and processes within formal vocational service provision that contribute to experiences of effective support to gain employment for people living with long term conditions. METHODS: A pre-published protocol was developed using PRISMA guidelines. Seven databases were searched to identify qualitative research. Results of the search were screened against inclusion criteria and for methodological quality. Findings from included studies were extracted and then analysed using thematic synthesis methods. RESULTS: Twenty two studies met the inclusion criteria. Six themes were identified that elucidated factors that contribute to experiences of supportive and effective vocational rehabilitation service delivery: a personalised service with service user preferences at the core; sustainable, timely and ongoing support; proactive collaboration with the employing organisation; peer support, the essential and necessary skills for gaining employment; and critical vocational worker skills, knowledge and attitudes. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the utility of synthesising qualitative research to provide insight into the factors that contribute to experiences of supportive and effective vocational rehabilitation services that traverse various contexts. Future high quality qualitative research is required to probe a broader range of long term conditions to better identify the similarities and differences across services and groups.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONAcross qualitative studies, common aspects of "good" vocational services can be identified that contribute to experiences of effective support to gain paid work for people living with long term conditions.Services are experienced positively when they are personalised, flexible, collaborative and take into account both lived experience and knowledge of the person's condition.Vocational rehabilitation services should proactively build collaborative relationships between the job seeker, employing organisation and other agencies and services.Specific skills and services that people living with long-term conditions find particularly helpful include peer support, work-focused skill development and workplace adjustment and accommodations.

Cochrane Rehabilitation: 2020 annual report.

During its fourth year of existence, Cochrane Rehabilitation went on to promote evidence-informed health decision-making in rehabilitation. In 2020, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has made it necessary to alter priorities. In these challenging times, Cochrane Rehabilitation has firstly changed its internal organisation and established a new relevant project in line with pandemic needs: the REH-COVER (Rehabilitation - COVID-19 evidence-based response) action. The aim was to focus on the timely collection, review and dissemination of summarised and synthesised evidence relating to COVID-19 and rehabilitation. Cochrane Rehabilitation REH-COVER action has included in 2020 five main initiatives: 1) rapid living systematic reviews on rehabilitation and COVID-19; 2) interactive living evidence map on rehabilitation and COVID-19; 3) definition of the research topics on "rehabilitation and COVID-19" in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) rehabilitation programme; 4) Cochrane Library special collection on Coronavirus (COVID-19) rehabilitation; and 5) collaboration with COVID-END for the topics "rehabilitation" and "disability." Furthermore, we are still carrying on five different special projects: Be4rehab; RCTRACK; definition of rehabilitation for research purposes; ebook project; and a prioritization exercise for Cochrane Reviews production. The Review Working Area continued to identify and "tag" the rehabilitation-relevant reviews published in the Cochrane library; the Publication Working Area went on to publish Cochrane Corners, working more closely with the Cochrane Review Groups (CRGs) and Cochrane Networks, particularly with Cochrane Musculoskeletal, Oral, Skin and Sensory Network; the Education Working Area, the most damaged in 2020, tried to continue performing educational activities such as workshops in different online meetings; the Methodology Working Area organized the third and fourth Cochrane Rehabilitation Methodological (CRM) meetings respectively in Milan and Orlando; the Communication Working Area spread rehabilitation evidences through different channels and translated the contents in different languages.

Experience of recovery and outcome following traumatic brain injury: a metasynthesis of qualitative research.

PURPOSE: To explore the use of qualitative metasynthesis to inform debate on the selection of outcome measures for evaluation of services provided to adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHOD: Fifteen databases were searched for qualitative research published between 1965 and June 2009, investigating the lived experience of recovery following TBI acquired during adulthood. Two reviewers independently screened all abstracts. Included studies were evaluated using methodological criteria to provide a context for interpretation of substantive findings. Data were extracted and synthesised by three reviewers, using QSR NVivo to assist with data management. RESULTS: From 23 studies, eight inter-related themes were identified to describe the enduring experience of TBI: 1) mind/body disconnect; 2) disconnect with pre-injury identity; 3) social disconnect; 4) emotional sequelae; 5) internal and external resources; 6) reconstruction of self-identity; 7) reconstruction of a place in the world; 8) reconstruction of personhood. CONCLUSION: Currently, there are outcome measures for some but not all of the issues identified in qualitative research on surviving TBI. In particular, new outcome measures may be required to evaluate experiences of loss of personal identity, satisfaction with reconstructed identity and sense of connection with one's body and one's life following TBI.

Expert opinions leave space for uncertainty when defining rehabilitation interventions: analysis of difficult decisions regarding categorization of rehabilitation reviews in the Cochrane library.

BACKGROUND: In 2017, Cochrane Rehabilitation created an online relational database to crowd-source the identification and categorization of Cochrane publications for relevance to rehabilitation. One of the challenges of this work has been the lack of an operational definition to determine what is or is not a rehabilitation intervention. As such, categorization decisions have been largely based on expert opinion, with two health professionals screening each review, and with disagreements in categorization decisions being adjudicated by the Cochrane Rehabilitation Review Committee. AIM: To analyze the rationale for resolving conflicts in the identification of rehabilitation reviews from all Cochrane reviews to contribute to future work on the scope and definition of rehabilitation interventions. METHODS: We extracted data on decisions made about all Cochrane titles (both protocols and reviews) published between 1 January, 1996, and 31 August, 2019, and identified all titles where there had been disagreement between any people categorizing the reviews. We used thematic analysis methods to classify the reasons for including or excluding reviews from a collection of reviews on rehabilitation interventions. We compared across groups to identify areas of conflict and errors in the initial categorization. RESULTS: Of the 9756 Cochrane titles screened, we identified 894 (9.2%) where some disagreement existed about whether a review was about rehabilitation interventions or not. Of these, 333 (37.2%) had met our original pragmatic criteria for being a "rehabilitation" review, while 561 (52.8%) had not. Seven hundred and nineteen of these reviews (80.4%) could be grouped by inductively created, reportable criteria to justify the initial categorization decisions. Fifty-seven reviews (6.4%) were on topics that were too idiosyncratic to easily group with others for the purposes of categorization. Conflicts in the rationale for categorization decisions were identified in 90 reviews (10.1%) and errors in the initial categorization for 28 reviews (3.1%). CONCLUSIONS: The challenges and conflicts identified in this study clearly indicate the need for better operational definition of rehabilitation interventions. This study provides a foundation for future work to check the utility of any new definition of rehabilitation interventions and to improve the trustworthiness of categorization decisions regarding the Cochrane Rehabilitation database.

Effectiveness of vocational interventions for gaining paid work for people living with mild to moderate mental health conditions: systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of vocational interventions to help people living with mild to moderate mental health conditions gain paid work. METHODS: Systematic review of international, peer-reviewed literature. Development of the prepublished protocol and search strategy was done in consultation with stakeholder reference groups consisting of people with lived experience of long-term conditions, advocates and clinicians. We searched academic databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, AMED, CINAHL, Proquest Dissertations and Theses database, and Business Source Complete for controlled trials comparing a specific vocational intervention against a control intervention or usual care, published between 1 January 2004 and 1 August 2019. Two authors independently screened search results, extracted data and appraised studies using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. RESULTS: Eleven studies met inclusion criteria. Seven studies investigated Individual Placement and Support (IPS) modified for people who were not in intensive mental health treatment services. These studies occurred settings such as community vocational rehabilitation services, a housing programme and community mental health services. The studies provided very low quality evidence that people who receive IPS-style vocational rehabilitation are more likely to gain competitive employment than people who receive usual care (risk ratio 1.70, 95% CI 1.23 to 2.34, seven studies, 1611 participants). The remaining four studies considered cognitive behavioural therapy or specific vocational rehabilitation interventions designed to fit a unique context. There was insufficient evidence from these studies to draw conclusions regarding the effectiveness of non-IPS forms of vocational rehabilitation for people with mild to moderate mental health conditions. DISCUSSION: The meta-analysis showed a clear intervention effect but low precision, and more high-quality studies are needed in this field. There is currently very low quality evidence that IPS-style intervention results in more participants in competitive employment compared with 'usual care' control groups in populations with mild to moderate mental health conditions.

A Review of CONSORT Guidelines About Comparison Groups With a Focused Discussion on Implications for Rehabilitation Clinical Trials.

OBJECTIVE: We examined and appraised the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) 2010 Statement and its extension from the perspective of the reporting of comparison groups (ie, interventions or control conditions against which an experimental intervention is compared) in clinical trials on rehabilitation topics. DESIGN: We downloaded the CONSORT 2010 Statement and all endorsed and unofficial extensions reported on the CONSORT and EQUATOR Web sites. We extracted all statements on the selection, design, delivery, or interpretation of data from comparison groups in clinical trials. We discussed preliminary findings during the Cochrane Rehabilitation Methodology Meeting in Kobe and then further by email before finalizing results. RESULTS: We identified 23 standards reported across the CONSORT 2010 Statement and 10 extensions. Overall, these standards address many, but not all, issues related to reporting of comparison groups in rehabilitation trials. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend that additional standards be created for the selection of types of comparisons, choices around reporting of "usual care," reporting of intended "mechanisms of control," and reporting a rationale for the hypothesized superiority of one intervention over another when superiority trial design are used. Rehabilitation research would benefit from development of a specific checklist and guidelines to help researchers make best use of existing extensions.

Evaluating the effectiveness of therapeutic horse riding for children and young people experiencing disability: a single-case experimental design study.

Purpose: Therapeutic horse riding aims to improve the health of children and young people experiencing disability; however, its benefits across a range of health domains, particularly the impact on participation outcomes, are not well known. This research evaluated to what extent there was a change in riders balance, functional performance, social responsiveness, quality of life and participation outcomes as a result of therapeutic horse riding.Methods: A multiple-baseline across participants (n = 12) single-case experimental design, with randomly allocated baseline phase lengths, quantitatively evaluated how riders responded to a 20-week intervention.Results: Social participation outcomes measured using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure demonstrated the most consistent positive between-phase differences (performance ES = 1.20, 95% CI [0.82, 1.63]; satisfaction ES = 1.11, 95% CI [0.73, 1.55]). A causal relationship was seen in three riders, but improvements only reached clinical significance for two riders when accounting for phase data trends. No significant outcome patterns were found comparing riders with principally physical impairments to those with principally psychosocial impairments.Conclusions: Being involved in therapeutic horse riding may improve rider's social participation in home, school and community settings. We postulate that rider self-concept development may be a mechanism of treatment effect leading to participation-level changes.Implications for rehabilitationSocial participation was the health outcome demonstrating the most consistent change following therapeutic horse riding, regardless of rider impairment.Therapeutic horse riding can improve social participation in settings beyond the riding arena.Greater intervention tailoring based on rider responses may enhance therapeutic horse riding intervention effects.

Cochrane Rehabilitation: 2019 annual report.

During its third year of existence, Cochrane Rehabilitation goals included to point out the main methodological issues in rehabilitation research, and to increase the Knowledge Translation activities. This has been performed through its committees and specific projects. In 2019, Cochrane Rehabilitation worked on five different special projects at different stages of development: 1) a collaboration with the World Health Organization to extract the best evidence for Rehabilitation (Be4rehab); 2) the development of a reporting checklist for Randomised Controlled Trials in rehabilitation (RCTRACK); 3) the definition of what is the rehabilitation for research purposes; 4) the ebook project; and 5) a prioritization exercise for Cochrane Reviews production. The Review Committee finalized the screening and "tagging" of all rehabilitation reviews in the Cochrane library; the Publication Committee increased the number of international journals with which publish Cochrane Corners; the Education Committee continued performing educational activities such as workshops in different meetings; the Methodology Committee performed the second Cochrane Rehabilitation Methodological Meeting and published many papers; the Communication Committee spread the rehabilitation evidence through different channels and translated the contents in different languages. The collaboration with several National and International Rehabilitation Scientific Societies, Universities, Hospitals, Research Centers and other organizations keeps on growing.

Goal planning for adults with acquired brain injury: how clinicians talk about involving family.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: Although family involvement is frequently identified as a key element of successful rehabilitation, questions remain about 'how' clinicians can best involve them. This study explored how clinicians talk about the involvement of families in goal-planning during rehabilitation of adults with acquired brain injury. RESEARCH DESIGN: Qualitative study drawing on grounded theory to elicit practitioner perspectives. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Nine clinicians from a range of professional backgrounds were interviewed. Interview data were transcribed and analysed using the constant comparative method of grounded theory. NVivo software was used to assist with data management. MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: While family were often considered valuable contributors to the goal-planning process, they were also seen as potential barriers to the negotiation of goals between clinicians and patients and to patient-clinician relationships. Clinicians described restricting involvement of family members in situations where such involvement was thought not to be in the best interests of the patient. CONCLUSIONS: Goal-planning appeared patient-centred rather than family-centred. Further, clinicians identified concerns about extending family involvement in goal-planning. If clinicians intend to address the needs of family members as well as patients, current approaches to goal-planning (and rehabilitation funding) may need to be reconsidered.