Patient engagement in inpatient rehabilitation: A scoping review of measures and evolving conceptualizations.
Mayra L Sánchez González, Kristian Nitsch, Nicolette Carnahan and 3 others
PMID 40608436WHAT IT FOUND
Clinicians mostly rate engagement by watching patients, which misses why someone holds back.
Patients rarely rate themselves, and no measure captures the interaction between patient and therapist. This gap makes it hard to target interventions for low engagement.
Key findings
01The majority of studies used an observer-rated approach where clinicians or research assistants measured engagement.
02Only a small minority of studies used a patient-rated approach where patients rated their own engagement.
03Most measures rely on clinicians' perceptions and lack attention to the patient-centered nature of engagement, including how diversity and cultural factors impact it.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The search was limited to articles published in English, which may skew the understanding of global practices. The review did not assess the psychometric properties or clinical utility of the identified measures. Most included studies relied on observer ratings, meaning patient perspectives are significantly underrepresented in the current literature. The conceptualizations of engagement were synthesized from the included studies, which varied in depth and theoretical grounding.
Declared interests
The authors declare no competing financial interests or personal relationships.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that a high score on a therapist-rated engagement scale means the patient is fully motivated or engaged. The review shows these scales measure observable behavior and miss the patient's internal experience, attitudes, and cultural context.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →