Prioritizing quality of geriatric rehabilitation from the older adults' perspective: A nominal group technique study.
Anne L Lubbe, Wim G Groen, Marjon van Rijn and 4 others
PMID 41342675WHAT IT FOUND
Older adults prioritized clear expectations, well-organized care, personal relationships with staff, respectful communication, and autonomy in decision-making.
Basic needs like hygiene and nutrition were discussed but ranked lower. These priorities reflect what matters most to patients, not proven interventions.
Key findings
01The top five priorities were good preparation with clear expectations, well-organized therapy and care, forming relationships with staff, clear communication, and autonomy in decision-making.
02Participants emphasized that personal connection and feeling heard were fundamental, even when acknowledging staff shortages and workload limits.
03While hygiene and nutrition were frequently discussed, they did not rank among the top five priorities for high-quality rehabilitation.
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 study excluded older adults with severe speech, language, or cognitive problems, limiting generalizability to those populations. Participants were recruited only from the Netherlands, so findings may not apply to different healthcare structures. The small sample size (18 participants) limits the breadth of perspectives captured. Participants were currently undergoing rehabilitation, which may influence their immediate priorities compared to retrospective views.
Declared interests
The research was funded by ZonMw (project number 640001021). The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these rankings as evidence that addressing these five priorities improves clinical outcomes like discharge status or functional gain. This study reports what patients value most, not which interventions are effective.
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 →