Multidisciplinary Home-Based Rehabilitation Program for Individuals With Disabilities: Longitudinal Observational Study.
Patricio Barría, Asterio Andrade, Daniel Gomez-Vargas and 5 others
PMID 39412860WHAT IT FOUND
Balance scores increased after a 4-month home rehabilitation program in 270 people with moderate musculoskeletal or neurological disabilities.
Depression scores showed no clear change. Many therapies were given together, so no single treatment can be credited.
Key findings
01Berg Balance Scale scores improved significantly after the program in the 270 participants analyzed for motor function (P <.001).
02Beck Depression Inventory-II scores did not change significantly in the 187 participants analyzed for mental health (P around .27).
03The program delivered 32 physiotherapy sessions, 8 occupational therapy sessions, 4 nutrition sessions, 4 psychology sessions, and 4 nursing and podiatry sessions over 4 months, totaling about 82 hours.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
There was no control group and no comparison with standard care or another rehabilitation program, so change over time cannot be separated from other factors. The program bundled physiotherapy, occupational therapy, nutrition, psychology, nursing, and podiatry, so the contribution of any single component cannot be isolated. Only people referred and able to participate were included, which may introduce selection bias. Depression was self-reported and may have been affected by social desirability bias. The study assessed balance and mood only, not quality of life or activities of daily living. The mental health result was based on 187 of the 270 participants.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the home program caused balance improvement, or that physiotherapy or occupational therapy alone was responsible. The study had no control group and delivered many therapies together.